Deathly Hallows Revisited
by redstarpuppy
Summary: With Ron gone, the Horcruxes nowhere in sight, and Voldemort's impending world domination looming over them, Harry and Hermione seek solace in each other, their friendship growing ever strong, as a gleam of something else starts shining through.
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! So this is my first fan fiction ever. There were several ideas I've been having for a while and since these ideas didn't seem to want to leave me alone, I decided to write this story.

It's basically my version of what could have happened after Ron left. I'm going to try and stick to the story and character personalities as much as possible because I love the world and characters that J.K. Rowling created; I just don't like who those characters ended up with.

Any advice and helpful criticism is completely welcome but just keep in mind that this is my first story :)

A shout out to my awesome friend Andrei, who for all intents and purposes, is the editor of my story. He basically came up with the title and the summary because I suck at that stuff. Love you, bud :)

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling created and owns these amazing characters. I just want to play with them.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

It only took a couple of seconds for reality to sink in.

Ron was gone.

That was the only thought that reverberated through Harry's mind when he woke up the next day. A big part of him had hoped, wished, that it had all been a bad dream. That he'd wake up and find Ron snoring in his cot. But as he lay there, the harsh reality was all Harry got.

Ron was gone.

Things were only made worse because of Hermione. After Ron left, she was helpless. She would snap to attention at any small noise, hoping that it was Ron coming back with shame on his face, apologizing endlessly to both of them. She was disappointed every time; so was Harry. He could see that she was trying hard not to break down but he knew, rather than saw, that she was failing. They kept away from each other afterward, only speaking when Hermione said she would take the first shift.

Harry looked toward the tent's entrance, the only thing separating her from him. She hadn't woken him up for his shift. Normally, he would've been angry at her for not getting her rest but he didn't have enough strength to be angry at her right now. He knew that she needed, wanted, her privacy right now but he also knew that she needed to sleep.

Harry slowly got up and walked towards the entrance, mentally preparing himself the whole way. He'd never been so hesitant and worried about seeing Hermione in all of their years of being friends. What he saw once he got outside almost had him running back in the tent. Almost.

Hermione was worse than before, which was something that Harry didn't think was possible. But there it was, right in front of his eyes. She hadn't noticed him yet, leaving Harry the freedom to stare at her without refrain. The first thing he noticed was her eyes. She wasn't crying anymore but the evidence of past tears was still clearly there. Her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot but that wasn't all. There was something that he'd never really seen in her before: defeat. It seems that she'd had enough of thinking that any random noise was Ron and his many apologies. She still didn't notice him; she was in her own world. Harry was glad that no one had stumbled upon them last night because he had a hunch that Hermione might have missed it completely. Before he could think properly, Harry whispered "Hermione."

Hermione's reaction was instantaneous. She quickly wiped away at already dried up tears and tried to regain what little composure she had left before she looked up at him. It didn't work. What Harry had seen when she wasn't looking was still there. The defeat was even more transparent as she looked at him. He stared at her silently for a couple of seconds, racking his brain for anything that would comfort her but found nothing that would come close. What could he say when even he was at a complete loss? She looked away, not being able to take his piercing gaze. What crushed Harry most was his inability to take away at least a bit of Hermione's despair. So instead of saying something that would make it worse he settled for something safe: "You should get some rest. I'll take watch now."

Hermione didn't know whether to happy about being able to sleep these feelings away or sad that he had nothing to say; in all honesty, she hadn't expected either to happen, which is why she hadn't woken Harry up when she should have. She was relieved that he didn't bring that up, though. Now, however, she didn't really have a choice. She slowly got up, almost missing the fact that Harry was helping her up. She almost snapped at him but quickly stopped herself. She knew that if Harry couldn't help her by talking about it he would try and help her in other ways, no matter how small. This was just one example; it made her feel just a little bit better. She gave him a look she hoped conveyed some of the gratitude she was feeling; she knew she succeeded when he gave her a small smile in return. That was their only exchange before Hermione walked into the tent, leaving Harry alone outside.

Harry didn't think he could be more hurt with Ron's departure- _No, abandonment_, he thought—but seeing Hermione proved him wrong. As he started walking around, only half paying attention to his surroundings, Harry realized he had never hated Ron more.

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><p>So that's basically it for the first chapter. Short I know, but I have more waiting. I just wanted to test the waters first. I hope you guys like it and please leave a review!<p>

It would be greatly appreciated :D


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, guys. WOW.

Okay, so it amazes me how many people have already read the story. People in Korea and Pakistan have read it! Wow...and people have already added the story to their favorites! Or to get alerted when I update! I'm in awe right now :D

But I only got one review out of all of those people which makes me kinda sad. Thank you to ChAOtiC ReApEr for the review :D I hope to get more in the future :)

As always, a shout out to Andrei, my awesome editor :D

Disclaimer: I don't own this. J.K. Rowling does. That's why she's a billionaire and not me.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Much to Harry and Hermione's distaste, things remained the same between them for a couple of weeks. Ron's presence, or lack thereof, always resurfaced, making things uncomfortable over and over again no matter what they did. And they didn't do much.

The days were spent much in the same way, so much so that the days seemed to blur together. Harry would usually keep watch during the night, letting Hermione rest as much as possible. The first few nights after Ron left, Harry let Hermione sleep no matter how tired he felt. He knew that she was having a hard time sleeping so when she did fall asleep, he decided that he didn't want to disturb that. Eventually, Hermione called him out on it, forcing him to sleep. From then on, the shifts were strictly enforced. Daytime was spent either gathering food or talking about possible horcrux locations. The latter option didn't take them far though, since they had the same conversation every time; neither of them had any idea where the other horcruxes could be. This frustration, coupled with Ron's leaving, made for a tense of couple of weeks.

This scared Harry in several ways. First, for the obvious reason: He needed to destroy the Horcruxes or he would never defeat Voldemort. Second: Hermione. She'd always been by his side but their relationship changed significantly after Ron left, making Harry more and more afraid that she would leave him too. He felt so dumb thinking that he could have ever done this alone. He knew now that he would have failed miserably. He could deal with not having Ron around; their row in fourth year taught him that. But he knew that if Hermione were to ever leave, he would be completely lost. So, he was constantly keeping an eye on her, watching for any signs that might show that she wanted to leave too.

Hermione saw this. There were several moments where she would catch him watching her with a look she'd never really seen before. He would always look away quickly but she still caught it. She didn't understand it at first but it didn't take her long to realize what it was: fear. In all of her years of knowing him, she'd never really seen this look on his face. She was sure that that look had crossed his features before but never in front of her. She wasn't around when he faced Voldemort his first year, the basilisk his second, a reincarnated Voldemort his fourth. She'd been with him to save Sirius third year and in the Department of Mysteries during their fifth but even then, he always remained strong in front of her and the others. She had wanted to say something once she understood what she saw but for the first time in her life, she didn't know what to say to him. She felt that whatever she said would be inadequate. Voldemort was out there and he was getting stronger by the day. Saying that everything would be okay wasn't going to cut it anymore. So she stayed quiet, resolving to help him by throwing everything she had into finding the other horcruxes. It never crossed her mind that most of his fear could be about her.

Harry felt that he needed to do something, anything, to show her his gratitude for staying with him. If she had any doubts about staying with him, he thought that he could change her mind by telling her how much he appreciated her. His first attempts failed miserably; he always lost his nerve right at the last second. He was lucky that Hermione hadn't really noticed or else she would've definitely said something. He knew he would lose whatever courage he had the longer he waited so while he was lying in bed nearly a month after Ron left, he decided that he would tell her the next day no matter what.

Harry was filled with nerves mere seconds after waking up the next day. He knew he was awful when it came to feelings but he hoped that for once in his life, something would work out for him. Harry's morning was spent looking for food, leaving Hermione in the tent, pouring over books. His hunt was spent calming himself. By the time he returned to the tent he was relatively calm; he even had an idea of what he wanted to say. Hermione briefly glanced at him when he entered before quickly returning to her books. _Well, it's now or never, _he thought. He walked over to the book covered table and said her name before he lost whatever nerve he had. "Hermione?"

Without looking up from her book, she said, "Yes, Harry?"

It seemed that all of his planning had been for nothing. As he stood there, his mind went blank. He cringed. _You're an idiot, Potter._ Hermione looked up when she noticed that he hadn't said anything in return. She was immediately worried: he looked lost. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Having her look at him only made it worse. _Where's that Gryffindor bravery now?_, his mind taunted. _Say something! Anything!_ "Um, I—I just wanted to say—", he stuttered. _Oh, sod it._

"I just wanted to say that I appreciate you staying with me," he said quickly; much to quickly. That was all he got out before Hermione quickly interrupted him.

"What? Harry, slow down. I don't understand what you're saying." She got up and walked over to stand in front of him. She put her hands on his shoulders. "Just calm down, take a deep breath, and start over."

Harry thought that his blubbering would only get worse when she got up but seeing the reassurance in her eyes calmed him down. _This is Hermione. I can tell her anything._ He took a deep breath. "Okay." He took another deep breath. "I just wanted to say that I appreciate you staying with me", he said slowly.

Hermione dropped her hands from his shoulders. This was the last thing she had been expecting. "What?"

He found it hard to look at her. "I just—I know that these past few weeks have been tough what with—well with what happened." Ron's name hadn't been spoken once since he left and Harry didn't dare mention it now; now when he was finally getting some courage to actually say _something_ to her. "I know that all of this is completely frustrating and we're still nowhere near finding out where the other horcruxes are but I just wanted to let you know how…how grateful I am that you're still here. I was daft in thinking that I could ever do this alone." He looked at her. "So, just—thank you, Hermione. Thank you for…well, for everything."

Hermione was stunned. Of all the things she had expected Harry to say, this was the last on her list. It wasn't even really on her list, to be honest. It's not that she didn't think he was grateful of her; it's just that she knew he had a tough time when it came to saying what he felt. But to finally hear him say it…she never thought it would feel this great. It felt _fantastic_. Harry wasn't one to open up to just anybody, so when it happened with her, she always felt extremely important. She felt needed. Now, however, those feelings felt stronger than ever.

Hermione's silence was starting to worry Harry. He couldn't have said anything wrong, could he? _No, of course not. You just thanked her for staying with you, how could that be wrong? _"Hermione? Are you okay?"

Hearing Harry snapped Hermione from her stunned silence. Instead of answering, she flung herself at him, hugging him with all her might. As soon as he saw her come back to reality, Harry only had a second to prepare himself for that hug. It's a good thing he realized what she was going to do; if he hadn't, they would've ended up on the floor from the strength of her hug. And what strength! She was almost hugging the life out of him.

"I'm better than okay, Harry." She whispered in his ear, sending unexpected shivers down his spine. She continued talking without breaking the hug "I told you once that we were in this together. That's never going to change, Harry. Never." Hermione came to a sudden realization. "Is that why you've been giving me those looks these past few weeks?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, nervously.

She looked at him then, bringing some space between them but not fully breaking the hug. "I noticed you giving me these looks like you were afraid. Were you afraid that I was going to leave?" He looked away, blushing. "Oh, Harry." She hugged him again, not as intensely as before but still strongly. "You can be so dense sometimes", she said in a soft tone.

Harry smiled. After weeks and weeks of worrying and feeling like they would never have a normal conversation again, Harry was glad to finally have a break from that. Similar thoughts were going through Hermione's mind. These past few weeks had been tough not only because of Ron but because of what it was doing to her and Harry's friendship. She had been worried that the change would become permanent but she was glad that they were finally getting back some semblance of normalcy. It was then that she realized they were still hugging; Harry wasn't far behind. They slowly stepped away from each other, not wanting to make such a great moment into an awkward one. They didn't put too much space between them, though.

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Harry. Thank you for telling me that."

"Well, I was only saying what was long overdue don't you think?" he said with a smile on his lips.

She laughed. "Sure, you can say that. But I appreciate it, nonetheless."

They continued to stand there, smiling at each other, neither of them wanting to break the moment. But, of course, they couldn't just stand there forever. Hermione was the first to look away, looking at the food Harry had brought in. "Alright, well, I think it's time for lunch, wouldn't you agree?" she said, still smiling at him.

"Yes, yes I would, Hermione", Harry said. And with that, they both started working on their lunch. Neither of them cared that the meal was adequate at best; the moment they had just shared had lifted both of their spirits up considerably. They would have more opportunities to get better food later but for now, they just basked in the happiness they both felt at overcoming what had been weighing them both down for weeks. Sure, Ron was still gone and that still hurt, but they would now face that together.

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><p>Alright so there it is. I didn't realize how short my chapters are but trust me I have longer ones coming up. And please don't hesitate to leave reviews! It's nice to know that a lot of people have read my story but it would be even better if people told me what they thought. Even a short review would do :) It's the only way that this story can get better. And I might not update as often if I don't get more reviews... Oh and don't be afraid to call me out on anything I mess up, either.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys :)**

**I saw that a sentence was left out of the last chapter. I don't know why, since I made sure it was there when I was editing but it didn't show up in what you guys saw. I think it's because of the way I wrote it. Nevertheless, I fixed that and updated that chapter. I think that might have been confusing so you guys can go back and read it if you want.**

**So yeah, the last two chapters were short; this one is a bit longer. They seemed longer to me when I was writing them but when I see them on here, they're super short! Sorry about that.**

**Oh and the Harry and Hermione relationship is gonna be a slow, gradual thing, I think. At least that's how it's looking right now. But who knows, I could have a romantic epiphany and ta da! Romance :)**

**Hope you guys like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I can pretend all I want but J.K Rowling is the real genius who created this amazing world.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

To say that things improved between Harry and Hermione after that would be an understatement. Endless stretches of uncomfortable silences were replaced with the peaceful silences that were familiar to both of them. That's not to say that everything was perfectly fine; far from it actually. While Harry and Hermione's relationship was back to what it once was, they could no longer ignore what they had set out to do. But finding and destroying the remaining horcruxes was proving to be harder than either of them ever imagined. Neither of them had any idea where to start looking, much less how to destroy one when they found it. So, everyday they would go over the same information, again and again, hoping that something new would come up.

"I'm sure that one of them is hidden at Hogwarts. There isn't any other place that's more important to him", Harry said for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, Harry, but that still doesn't help us. It's not like we can just waltz into Hogwarts right now, not with all of You-Know-Who's followers running the place." Hermione replied with as much patience as ever. Even with Ron gone, they still couldn't bring themselves to say Voldemort's name; neither really understood why but they guessed that it had something to do with Ron and his loud protests when he _was_ with them.

Resigned, Harry replied, "I know. I'm just stating the obvious. Again."

"What about the Ministry of Magic? Do you think he would leave something there?" Hermione asked.

"I doubt it. The Ministry of Magic isn't that important to him," said Harry. "Not as much as Hogwarts, anyway."

They both fell silent, racking their brains for anything, _anything_ that they hadn't thought of before. Neither came up with anything. Harry thought that maybe now was the right time to ask Hermione what he had wanted to ask for a while. He hadn't asked before because of the obvious, but now was as good a time as any. "Hermione?"

"Hmm?" she replied, still lost in her thoughts.

"I was wondering if maybe we could—if we could visit Godric's Hollow." He held his breath, waiting for her response.

Her attention quickly focused on him when he finished asking. "Harry…"

He quickly interrupted. "Hermione, it's where my parents are. It's where I was born." He looked at her with pleading eyes.

She looked at him with equally pleading eyes. "Harry, it's too dangerous. Don't you think that You-Know-Who would be expecting you to go? He knows how important Godric's Hollow is to you. He could have set a trap there or something."

"I know, Hermione. I know. But in light of everything, what else can we do? We don't have any clues leading us anywhere else." He paused. "Don't you think it's worth a trip to try and find out something?"

Worry lined her face as she looked at him. He could tell that she was going through all of the possibilities in her mind, trying to think of something safer for them to do. After a couple of seconds, he knew that she couldn't come up with an alternative.

She sighed, "Well, seeing as we haven't been able to come up with anything else, I guess we really don't have a choice." She paused. "Maybe Dumbledore left the sword there for you."

"The sword?" He asked, confused.

"Yes, Harry, the sword. I can't really think of a better place seeing as how that's where Godric Gryffindor used to live."

"Godric Gryffindor used to live at Godric's Hollow?" Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "Of course… Why didn't I think of that before? That makes complete sense!"

Hermione just looked at him with pity. "Honestly Harry, didn't you ever at least open _Hogwarts, a History_?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I think it once fell open when it fell off my bed." He looked at her, a small smile on his face. "Does that count?"

She laughed. "You know perfectly well that it doesn't. But even then, I thought you might've made the connection."

He shrugged. "I've never really thought about it, to be honest."

She shook her head, still smiling. "Well, in any case, I guess you're right. We should go to Godric's Hollow." She stopped, and then said more softly, "Even if we don't find anything at least you'll get to see your parents." She looked at him with a thoughtful smile on her face.

He responded in kind. "Thanks, Hermione."

They immediately got to work after that. Hermione thought it would be best to apparate under the invisibility cloak, seeing as how neither of them knew what would be waiting for them there. So they began practicing. Harry thought it was going to be easy but quickly found out that that wasn't the case. A couple of years ago, Harry and Hermione would've fit comfortably with room to spare under the cloak. But now, they had to squish together and crouch to just fit inside it without showing anything. The first attempts went horribly. They never landed on their feet and one of them usually landed on top of the other. One particular time, Hermione landed hard with her elbow digging into Harry's stomach, leaving Harry breathless. He lay on the ground for a couple of seconds while Hermione hovered over him, apologizing profusely. He had a hunch that she was trying not to laugh too but he was too busy trying to regain his breath to fully notice.

Hermione wasn't sure how many times they had tried to apparate under that cloak, but she was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. She'd been that close to Harry before but she couldn't remember ever feeling this nervous about it. She started noticing things that she'd never really noticed before. Obviously, she knew that Harry had grown and filled out in a couple of places but she hadn't noticed how much until now. Harry was having similar troubles. He'd hugged Hermione countless of times before, why did it feel so different now? He couldn't help but notice how good she smelled and how nice it felt to have her this close to him. Both of them knew that they shouldn't be thinking like that; even with Ron gone, they both still had a sense of loyalty toward their…their what? Their friend? Did they still consider him that? Whatever the case, they both soon cast those thoughts aside and focused all of their energy and thoughts onto the task at hand. It didn't take long after that to get it right.

Once they had gotten the hang of apparating together under the cloak, Harry had been impatient to go. Hermione, however, had other thoughts. She talked him into waiting until late afternoon, saying that there would probably be less people around. She also said that it would be safer to go under the magic of polyjuice potion, but Harry refused; He didn't feel right returning back to his birthplace as someone else. Hermione reluctantly agreed and when the sun was setting, they set off.

They landed on a road that led to what looked like a small square. Everything was covered in snow. Lights hung here and there, twinkling in the night. Harry had never seen anything so quaint. Houses lined the road with what sounded like a pub behind them on the right. It seemed that everybody was inside, enjoying the warmth of their homes. With Hermione's arm tucked in his, Harry led them down the road.

"Harry, I think it's Christmas Eve," Hermione whispered, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness of their surroundings.

And sure enough they both heard music emanating from the church just up ahead on their right seconds later. Harry's attention immediately focused on what was next to the church. "Hermione, do you think they would be in there?" he asked, quietly.

Hermione followed his gaze to the small graveyard. She said softly, "Yes, Harry, I think they would."

He wordlessly led them through the kissing gate. They stood facing the tombstones for a second before separating, each going their own way in search of Harry's parents.

Hermione walked slowly, keeping an eye on Harry. Clashing emotions were raging inside her. On one hand, she was worried about Harry, like always. She knew how monumental this moment must be for him but she didn't want to see him hurt. Seeing his parents for the first time like this was sure to hit Harry hard. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little proud. This was Harry's first visit to what would've been his home; his first time setting foot where his parents now lay in peace. And she, _Hermione_, was with him. This was an extremely important moment in Harry's life and she couldn't help but feel a little awed that she was allowed to share this experience with him. She quickly glanced at Harry again; he still hadn't found them. Pushing her thoughts aside, she focused on finding his parents. She stopped at a flat, snow covered tomb and wiped it clean to read the inscription. What she saw immediately had her mind racing: A circle with a line down the middle, both enclosed in a triangle. It was the same sign that she had found in _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_! She had thought the sign had been meaningless but it had bothered her more than she thought it would. Why would someone draw in a children's picture book? _This can't be a coincidence_, she thought. She quickly looked at the name. "Ignotus Peverell," she whispered. She'd never heard that name before. "Hey, Harry?" she called, but didn't get a response. She looked up, her eyes searching for him. She found him standing in front of a white, granite tomb. All thoughts of Ignotus Peverell and the mysterious sign immediately flew out the window. She quietly walked over to him, sadness and worry lining her face.

Harry had never felt so much loss and sadness in his life. It felt as if the loss of his parents had never truly hit him until now, with him standing in front of their grave. Not for the first time, he found himself dreaming of a much easier life, a life where he had loving parents and maybe even siblings. A life where he had grown up surrounded by the wonders of magic and knowing exactly what Hogwarts was. A life without all of the constant fear and danger, a life where his only worries would be his next exam or asking a cute girl to Hogsmeade. But as he stood there, staring at the only thing that remained of his parents, Harry knew that dreaming didn't help. He didn't have an easy life and he didn't know if he ever would. His worries weren't trivial teenage things; they were more complicated and life threatening. So much depended on his success and the pressure was overwhelming. But if he had been lucky enough to have had that life would he ever have met Hermione? Or Ron? Would he be the same person he is now? _None of that matters_, he thought_._ There was no point on dwelling on the what-if; this was his life and there was no changing that. Tears began to blur his vision when he felt Hermione come up behind him.

Hermione didn't know what to do. She saw how tense his shoulders were, how his hands were balled up into tight fists and she didn't know what to do. All she wanted was to take away all of this pain but she had no idea how to do that and even if she did, she was sure it wouldn't be enough; it would never be enough. Taking her wand out, she walked forward and kneeled down before the grave. She made a circle motion with her wand, replacing the empty air before her with a beautiful Christmas wreath and gently placed it on the grave. Harry smiled, feeling a rush of gratitude for his friend. Leave it to Hermione to think of something he hadn't. In the past, he had always pictured himself alone whenever he had thought about his first visit to Godric's Hollow. Now, however, he couldn't think of having anybody else with him but Hermione. She had always been there for him and it felt right for her to be here now. She slowly got up when he said "Merry Christmas, Hermione."

Hermione looked at him, hearing, rather than seeing, the tears in his eyes. "Merry Christmas, Harry," she whispered. She hesitated only for a second before resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her right arm around him, gripping his left hand in her left. They stood there for a couple more seconds before Harry led them out, neither one of them letting go of the other as they passed through the kissing gate.

They slowly walked back to the road they came from, heading towards the square. When they reached it, Hermione saw it. "Harry," she said. Harry looked at her but before he could say anything she started walking, leading them towards the left of the square. Up on their left was a smaller street, but from where they were walking they could see a house that looked different from the others. Harry knew immediately what he was looking at.

The small cottage was intact except for the roof, where the right side was caved in. The house exuded an air of sadness and neglect. The lawn in the front yard was overgrown and the paint on the house was chipped. It was clear that no one had visited or attempted to restore the house to its former state. Harry and Hermione stared, letting the obvious sink in. This is where it happened. This is where Harry's life took a dramatic and heart wrenching turn. Like seeing his parent's graves, seeing the house only made everything seem more real, something that seemed ludicrous to Harry. But it was true; seeing the physical evidence of that night impacted Harry in a way he never thought it would. Feeling Hermione's hold on his hand tighten made Harry feel happy once again that he wasn't alone.

Hermione was about to lead them away when she noticed something, or rather someone, out of the corner of her eye. She slowly turned her head and saw an old woman just a couple of feet away from them on their right. The old woman was staring intently at them both. "Harry," she whispered, "somebody is watching us." Harry turned his head and saw the old woman. "I think I know who that is." Hermione looked at Harry in confusion for a second before realization hit. Bathilda Bagshot lived in Godric's Hollow. She looked back at the old woman. "Well, what do we do?" she said, still whispering.

"I think she wants us to follow her", he whispered back.

Alarmed, she said, "What? No, Harry, we shouldn't. I mean, we don't even know where she'll take us—".

"Hermione, we came here to try and find something out. She used to know Dumbledore. Maybe she knows something", he interrupted.

Hermione looked at him with a worried look before nodding. Harry took a deep breath, looked one last time at what used to be his home, and then took a step forward with Hermione close behind.

He had been right. As soon as they started walking towards her, Bathilda turned around and started heading further down the street. Hermione had a bad feeling about this and so did Harry, but something new was finally happening after weeks of the same thing. He just hoped that they actually learned something new as well.

After a couple of minutes, Bathilda came to a stop in from of an old house that looked just as neglected as Harry's parent's house. Without stopping to look if they were still following, she walked right in with Harry and Hermione not far behind. If the outside looked bad, the inside was much worse. There were books and bits of junk everywhere and everything seemed to be covered in a fine layer of dust. It smelled horrible too, like a mix of dirty clothes, old age and musty food. Bathilda walked around with ease while Harry and Hermione both had to constantly stop to make sure a stack of books wouldn't fall. Harry was restacking some books when he noticed a man in a picture that looked awfully familiar. _He's the man who stole that wand from Gregorovitch! _"Uh, Miss Bagshot who's the man in this picture?" He looked at her but she just continued to stare at him. "Miss Bagshot?" Instead of responding, she nodded towards the stairs.

"I think she wants us to go upstairs." As soon as Hermione started walking forward, Bathilda quickly shook her head. She pointed to Harry and then to herself.

"I think she wants me to go alone."

"What? Why?" asked Hermione, her voice ringing loudly through the house.

"I don't know. Maybe there's something she can only give to me?"

"Are you sure she even knows who you are?"

Bathilda was staring intently at Harry, giving no sign that she had heard Hermione. "Yes, I think she does."

"Harry…" Hermione was torn. She didn't want to leave Harry all by himself with a woman who clearly didn't have everything right in the mind.

"Hermione, it'll be okay. I'll be quick, promise." In all honesty, he didn't want to leave her alone but what else could he do? Bathilda seemed intent on taking only him.

"Alright, but be quick."

Sensing the end of the conversation, Bathilda shuffled towards the stairs. Harry quickly followed her, throwing one last reassuring glance at Hermione.

Hermione stood there, looking around at the mess. If she had a bad feeling before, all she felt now was something closer to full-fledged fear. They needed to get out of here and fast. She wanted to follow him but she knew that it would be safer to stay down here and make sure that no one dangerous came in. She walked towards a hallway that was stacked with even more books on either side. On a stack to her left, she saw a book that she had only heard about: _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore _by Rita Skeeter. She detested the woman but the book could probably come in handy; Hermione put it in her beaded bag. She took a deep breath but immediately regretted it. A foul stench was emanating from the only door at the end of the hallway. Hermione slowly walked towards the door, knowing in the back of her mind that she was going to be deeply sorry for opening that door.

"_Lumos_." The smell was nearly unbearable now. She hesitated for a small moment before slowly opening the door. The stench hit her fully then and she had to try hard not to throw up.

First she noticed the flies; then she noticed the blood. It was smeared all over the floor and even on the ceiling but she couldn't tell where it was coming from. She lifter her wand up higher, not wanting to step any further into the room. She immediately found the source.

It took all she had not to scream at the sight of what was left of Bathilda Bagshot's body.

"Harry!"

Once they reached the upper landing, Bathilda led Harry to a bedroom to the right. It was even darker up here; the smell even more horrible. "_Lumos._"

After she closed the door, she spoke for the first time. "Harry Potter?"

"Yes, that's me" Harry said, nodding. "Is there anything here for me?"

Bathilda nodded towards an old armoire in the corner of the room. Harry walked towards it and opened it, but found it empty except for some old clothes.

"Uh, Miss Bagshot—"Harry said, still staring into the armoire. "There isn't anything in here."

He turned around at her silence but wished he hadn't. She was shaking, like she was having a seizure. "Miss Bagshot?" he asked, alarmed.

She didn't respond. When she stopped shaking, several things happened at once. Harry's scar started burning; the Horcrux twitched on his chest but what happened to Bathilda had him paralyzed in horror. Somewhere in the back of his mind he thought he heard Hermione shout his name.

Where Bathilda had once been there was now a huge snake. Harry barely registered that her body had collapsed and the snake had come out of her body- _out of her body—_ when the snake came hurtling at him.

Harry raised his wand but the snake bit him, sending the wand flying. He didn't have time to recover before the snake's tail hit him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. He fell on a table, breaking the glass covering the top. He threw himself sideways and landed on glass, barely getting out of the way of the snake's tail. He could now hear Hermione's voice calling him but before he could respond, he felt the heavy, muscular body of the snake pin him to the floor.

"No!" he gasped. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could feel an intense joy and- laughter? Yes, laughter. Voldemort knew he was here.

Harry struggled to get up but it was useless. The snake was crushing him, letting little air reach his lungs. He was starting to lose consciousness when the snake flew off of him. He quickly got up, taking in deep breaths of air. He noticed Hermione duck to the side when the snake struck at her. He hastily looked around the floor; he needed his wand, _now._

The snake had turned to face him just as Harry saw his wand. He quickly threw himself to his right, landing with his hand on his wand. He got up but he didn't know where to aim; the room was full of snake. He looked around but he couldn't find Hermione. Before he thought the worst he saw a flash of red light and the snake flew up. Harry ran towards Hermione who was standing by the door but a part of the snake's body smacked him in the head before he reached it. He landed in a dazed heap. He tried to get up but his scar seared painfully, more painfully than ever, knocking him back to the ground.

Everything went black for a second. In his mind Harry could only see things flying by; he could feel the air surrounding him. Everything was going so fast that the landscape was starting to blur. Voldemort was on his way.

"Hermione!" he gasped, "Hermione, he's coming!"

Fear instantly filled Hermione. She dropped beside Harry, grabbing his hand to apparate them out. But as soon as she got their next location in mind, she saw that the snake had regained its composure and was getting ready to strike. She realized that she either had to choose to apparate them out or stun the snake again. Harry was writhing painfully on the floor, holding tight to her hand. They couldn't stay here anymore, she was wasting time—she could feel herself start to panic. Giving herself a mental kick, Hermione regained whatever self-control she had left. She started to apparate just as the snake lunged towards them, its mouth open wide, giving Hermione a full view of its razor sharp teeth.

Harry struggled to open his eyes. He had to help Hermione. But all he saw when he opened his eyes was a blinding white light that was soon followed by the sensation of being squeezed through a tube.

They landed on soft but cold ground. They were in a forest covered in snow. Harry sighed in relief. He could hear Voldemort screaming in rage but pushed that out of his mind. He turned to Hermione who was still lying on the ground, her eyes closed.

"Hermione, you did it! We're safe!" She wasn't moving. "Hermione?"

But Hermione didn't respond.

* * *

><p><strong>So that's it. Total cliffhanger, I know but what would a story be without a couple of cliffhangers? Don't hesitate to tell me if I mess anything up.<strong>

**Thanks for reading :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, so this is a really short chapter but don't worry. Chapter 5 is already done and I'm gonna post it not long after this. So don't hate me lol. It just didn't feel right combining this chapter and chapter 5 together. So yeah, the next chapter will be up really soon, I promise. Probably even later today.

So yeah, this is just a set up chapter. The next one is longer and more stuff happens.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns. Not me, unfortunately.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 <strong>

Fear gripped him as he dropped to the ground next to her. Alarmed, he asked, "Hermione?" She still didn't answer. "No, no, no…Hermione, wake up. Wake up!"

He thought back to fifth year in the Department of Mysteries. It was happening all over again. He could still see her lying motionless on the stone floor while Neville looked for a pulse…

Harry jumped at the memory of Neville and quickly reached for Hermione's hand. Seconds felt like hours as he waited to feel a pulse. He cried out in relief when he finally felt it, albeit a very weak one. "Hermione, please wake up. Please wake up!"

Why wasn't she waking up?

Her heart was still beating, her skin was still warm, and if Harry looked closely, he could see her chest rising and falling as she breathed. In a small voice, he said "Hermione…why aren't you waking up?" Harry could feel the sting of tears in his eyes. "Please wake up, Hermione," he said in a tearful voice.

But she wasn't waking up. Harry stayed there for what felt like forever, waiting for her to wake up.

But nothing happened.

He could have waited there forever but a voice in his mind snapped him out of it. _What are you doing? Do you want to be seen and captured? Put the enchantments up, you idiot! You can't help Hermione if you get caught! _

Harry quickly got up, wiping the tears from his eyes. He set up the enchantments, never fully leaving Hermione out of his sight. If she woke up, he wanted to be by her side immediately to make sure she was okay. Once he finished, he returned to Hermione, grabbed her beaded bag and started working on the tent. Once everything was set up, he carefully levitated Hermione to her cot. It was late now and Harry knew that he should be outside keeping watch, but he couldn't pull himself away from her. He felt that she could wake up at any moment and he wouldn't be there to comfort and reassure her if he left. _This forest seems pretty empty, though, _he thought._ I doubt anyone is going to find us here, especially with the enchantments. _So he sat down next to the cot and watched her.

She looked so peaceful.

Again he began to wonder what had happened for this to happen to her. The last thing he remembered before getting here was seeing a white light. A really bright white light. _What was that? _he thought_. _He also remembered Nagini coming towards them, her mouth open wide, ready to bite into one of them. He saw the white light and next thing he knew, he was laying in the snow in this forest. It didn't make sense. It wasn't a curse; nobody else was there to do that. Plus, he'd never seen a curse that was white. Voldemort had gotten there too late and he was sure he would've just killed them if he had had the chance. So what happened?

He looked at Hermione. He was sure she would know. She knew everything and it didn't take her long to figure it out when she didn't. She was just amazing and brilliant like that. He smiled. He had to admit that he found it annoying sometimes but it was something that made Hermione who she was. It made her unique. He had always admired her drive to learn and how she didn't care if other people thought it was weird. She did what she wanted and that was that.

He held her hand as he settled himself in a more comfortable position, laying his head by Hermione's leg. He needed her to wake up. He didn't want to be alone. He realized that if Ron had been here this probably wouldn't have happened. This only made him resent his friend even more. They were both supposed to protect Hermione and they had both failed. Harry could feel his eyes getting heavier. He tried to fight it but he could feel himself losing.

As he succumbed to sleep, memories of Hermione flooded his mind. An eleven year old Hermione looking for a toad and fixing his glasses; Hermione a year later running down the Great Hall with a huge smile on her face; feeling the tight grip of Hermione's arms as they rode Buckbeak to save Sirius; Hermione nearly bursting with joy as they realized he hadn't come in last in the second task; Hermione hugging the air out of him after the Dementor attack; Hermione with snow in her hair at Grimmauld Place, coming to pull him out of his misery when she should have been with her parents on vacation; Hermione hugging him, sending chills down his spine as she whispered in his ear. This was the last thing on his mind before he finally gave in to his slumber.

He woke up several hours later, still drowsy with dreams of Hermione.

She still hadn't woken up.

* * *

><p>I know, I know. Super short. You are all welcome to hate me for the time being. I know I would. But like I said, chapter 5 will be posted soon. Later today, I promise. It's 12:28am here so before this day ends, you guys will have another, <em>longer<em>, chapter to read. Scouts honor.

Thanks for reading :)


	5. Chapter 5

Alright, so as promised here's chapter 5. Not the longest chapter I've written but definitely longer than the last one.

Hope you guys like it :)

Disclaimer: As always, this doesn't belong to me but the genius that is J.K. Rowling.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

It was now the third day after their visit to Godric's Hollow.

Hermione still hadn't woken up.

For Harry, these past three days felt more like years. Time passed so slowly without Hermione. It didn't make much difference that she was physically there. What was the point when he couldn't hear her voice or see her smile?

Harry spent most of his time at Hermione's side, only leaving when he went to look for food. He tried to think about other Horcrux locations and where the sword could be, but he never got very far. He needed Hermione. It was like second year all over again except this time it was worse. At least then he knew what had happened to her; this time he had no clue, no matter how many times he went over what happened at Godric's Hollow. He was going out of his mind with worry, not knowing if she would wake up or not.

At times, he found himself talking to her, telling her about how beautiful the forest was or reminiscing about old memories of their time spent together. The only thing that gave Harry some hope was that Hermione's pulse had gotten stronger but other than that, nothing changed. It was killing him.

On the third day, Harry woke up in much the same way as the last two days: sitting on the ground next to her cot, his head laying near her leg, one of her hands in his. His neck had an awful cramp and his body hurt but he didn't care; he couldn't sleep if he wasn't near her.

Harry had found that he liked to watch her sleep. She looked so worry free, something he knew she hadn't felt in a long time. Looking at her now, he wished that she had never met him. Knowing what he knew now, he was sure that his life wouldn't be as great but at least her life would've been more normal. Being in her life had caused her so much hurt that could've been avoided if he wasn't in it. She could've focused on other things instead of having to constantly worry about him and his recklessness. But deep inside he knew that if he had the choice, he would choose to have her in his life. She was too important; he needed her too much. It was selfish of him but he would be dead a hundred times over if it wasn't for her. He would've failed a long time ago if she wasn't with him. And if he were honest, he would've been alone at critical times in his life, like now. Hermione was always there for him, so who would be if she wasn't?

"Hermione… please, you have to wake up." Harry whispered. "I need you."

He looked at her as she remained motionless, except for her breathing. The reoccurring panic he had been feeling the last two days rose in him again. Why wasn't she waking up! It was at times like these that he wished he hadn't been so lazy in school. Maybe if he had been more like Hermione he would know what was wrong with her and what to do. Or at least have an idea instead of being completely clueless and helpless.

He was pacing back and forth in front of her when his stomach gave a loud grumble. _How can you be thinking about food when Hermione isn't waking up? _Harry thought. Granted his last few meals had been nowhere near satisfying but still. _How are you going to help her if you're not up to full speed? Did you think about that? _His mind retorted. _Oh, shut it. _

Grudgingly, he knew his mind was right. _Oh god, I'm having arguments with myself. I've officially gone mad. _He would have to go and look for food again, even though he probably wouldn't find much. _But what if Hermione woke up? She would definitely be hungry. _He needed much more food than he would find in the snow covered forest, though. He had no idea if there was even a town nearby much less how to get there if there was. _I'll just have to hope I see a rabbit or something, _he thought. _Right, like you could catch a rabbit_, his mind retorted_. _Harry scowled.

He walked back over to Hermione once he had his stuff ready. "I'll be back soon, Hermione." He leaned over and stroked her hair. "Just please wake up, Hermione. Please." Knowing she wouldn't respond, he didn't wait for an answer. He mentally slapped himself right after. She _would_ wake up. She was going to be okay. With that final thought, he set off.

It was freezing outside. Even with all the layers of clothing, Harry still felt the cold penetrate to his skin. He tried to ignore it as he walked away from the tent, keeping his eyes peeled for any animals. He wasn't looking forward to killing an animal but he had to think of Hermione. Just then he noticed something move to his left. He turned.

Nothing moved.

Just as he was about to turn away, he saw it again. _A rabbit! _Harry stared at it. It wasn't too big but it would do. It was completely white; he thanked his father again for passing down his amazing seeker skills. It hadn't noticed him yet. He slowly walked around it, trying to get behind it. _Alright, Potter, let's see what you can do. _He slowly inched himself closer; it still hadn't moved. He stood there for a moment, thinking of a way to capture the rabbit when it moved. Apparently, he had thought for too long. He started moving closer but it seemed the rabbit had finally noticed him. It slowly started hopping but it was getting faster by the hop. _Oh, bloody hell. Here we go._

_###_

It was two of hours later and Harry had to admit: he was pretty proud of himself. He had caught that first rabbit after a couple of minutes of wild chasing. But then he caught another one. It was a little bigger than the first and not completely white. This one had been easier but it still put up a pretty good chase. It would've taken less time if the rabbits weren't so damn fast but he had caught them, nonetheless. Harry didn't feel so useless anymore. At least he had gotten food for Hermione. _Hermione. _The worry set in again. The chase had distracted him for a while but not anymore. He started walking faster.

He wasn't far from the tent when he heard something that made his heart stop.

"Harry?"

######

Hermione had never felt so tired in her life. She lay there for a couple of minutes with her eyes closed. _Oh god, why am I so tired? _She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was in the tent, lying on her cot. She sighed in relief. They were safe. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. _What happened?_

The last thing she remembered was thinking of this location and Nagini coming at them at the same time. After that, everything went blank. _Harry must have put me here. _She gave a slight jump. _Harry!_

"Harry?" she said. Her voice made her cringe. It was so soft and weak. She tried again. "Harry?" It was only a little bit louder.

She didn't get an answer. _He's probably asleep._ She couldn't wait for him to wake up; she needed to see him now and make sure he was okay. She couldn't move though. She tried again. She managed to sit up but she only felt like laying back down. She was so tired; so tired that she couldn't even get up.

"Harry," she called again. Nothing. Panic was starting to set in. Harry wasn't that deep of a sleeper; he should be able to hear her. Plus his cot wasn't even that far away. "Harry?" Her voice was still a little weak. She waited a couple of seconds before calling again. "Harry?" It was getting stronger but he still wasn't answering.

"Harry!"

It was then that she heard him.

"Hermione!"

####

Harry just stood there, not breathing. He only dared to hope. Had he really heard that or had he finally lost it? Harry was frozen in place and it had nothing to do with the cold. It was only when he heard her again that his heart started back up. "Harry!"

"Hermione!" he called out.

He started running so fast that he almost dropped his catch. He reached the front of the tent in seconds. _She's awake! She's finally awake!_ This was the only thought that filled his mind as he walked toward her, dropping the rabbits on the way. Time seemed to slow down. After what seemed like forever, he finally reached her.

He'd never seen anything more beautiful.

"Harry, there you are! Where were—", she started, but Harry reached her before she could finish.

Harry wrapped her in an embrace that could rival all of Hermione's hugs put together. He had never been so happy to see anybody in his entire life.

Nobody had ever hugged her like this in her life. She quickly got over her surprise and hugged him back just as fiercely. She had hugged Harry before but it was usually her that was squeezing the air out of him. She had to admit that she liked this reversal of positions.

Harry didn't want to let her go. She was finally awake and he had this irrational fear that if he let her go, this would all be a dream. It didn't seem possible but he only hugged her tighter when he felt her hug him back. He felt like he could stay like this forever, just like this, with Hermione in his arms, knowing that she was okay. That she was safe.

She could only imagine what they must look like with her on the bed and him kneeling before her, embracing like there was no tomorrow. She only now realized that he was quietly whispering her name, over and over. She knew that she must have been asleep for longer that she had originally thought and that Harry must have been going crazy with worry.

"Harry," she whispered, gently stroking his hair. "Harry, it's okay. I'm okay." She felt him nod against her head. "I'm sorry that I—"but Harry quickly interrupted her.

"No, no, Hermione don't be sorry." He pulled back to look at her, but didn't let go of her completely. She only felt worse when she saw tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for even suggesting we go to Godric's Hollow. This would never have happened if it wasn't for me." He looked away from her.

"Harry." He didn't look at her. "Harry, look at me."

The tone in her voice forced him to look up. Hermione reached up to brush away the tears that had dropped onto his face. She cradled his face in her hands, making sure that he wouldn't look away again. So many emotions were swirling in those green orbs that Hermione just wanted to stare into them until she figured them all out.

"This isn't your fault." Harry started to say something but Hermione quickly interrupted. "No, Harry, listen to me. I agreed to go with you. I knew that it could be dangerous and so did you. If something had happened to you, I would have blamed myself. But what would you have said?"

"That it wasn't your fault," Harry whispered.

"Exactly. So don't blame yourself. Please, don't blame yourself." Harry continued to look at her. "Plus, you finally got visit your parents."

Harry couldn't look away from her. He had never felt so relieved to see her awake, to be able to look into her beautiful brown eyes. He had stared at those eyes many times but he couldn't believe that he never noticed the gold flecks until now.

He whispered, "I'm so happy you're okay. I don't know what I would've done if—"

"Shhh, Harry, don't worry about that. I'm alright. We're alright."

Harry nodded. Her hands were still on his face and he still had his arms around her but he found that he didn't care. Normally, he would've felt uncomfortable by now but he didn't feel any of that. Instead he focused on what had been plaguing him for days.

"Hermione, what happened to you?"

Hermione had been thinking the same thing. "I'm not sure, Harry. The last thing I remember was thinking of this forest and seeing that snake coming at us. Everything went black after that." Her eyebrows knitted in confusion as she looked at Harry. "What do you remember?"

"All I remember is seeing this really bright flash of white. Next thing I know, we're laying on the ground in this forest."

Hermione cocked her head. "Flash of white?" Harry nodded. "That's strange. You didn't see where it came from?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure. It was right in front of us, sort of like a barrier." Harry looked at her, a confused look on his face. "You don't remember seeing it? It was kind of hard to miss."

Hermione thought for a moment. She remembered feeling panicked; they needed to get out of there but the snake was coming right at them and Voldemort was arriving at any second. Leave or defend. Which one did she choose?

"I didn't choose," she whispered.

"What?"

"I knew that we needed to leave but the snake was so close to us and I didn't know what to do. If I apparated the snake might have come with us but if I attacked we might have stayed there longer and then it would've been too late."

"So you didn't choose?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. "But what does that mean? Are you saying you did both?"

"I…maybe, but I didn't say a spell. I didn't even think of one. All I remember thinking of was this place."

Harry thought for a moment. This sounded familiar. "Maybe…maybe that flash of white was a spell."

Hermione looked at him. "You mean I did magic without intending to?"

"Maybe. I mean, I know it didn't come from me." Hermione had a skeptical look on her face. "It could have been like what my wand did with You-Know-Who. I'm not really sure what happened there but it was like my magic knew I was in danger and it reacted without me having to do anything."

Hermione was still deep in thought. It was a couple of seconds later when she started nodding. "Yes. Or maybe it's like when we were younger. You know like when strange things would happen when we were mad or scared. We know that it was magic now but back then we couldn't control it. The magic was reacting to our emotions without us intending it to." Hermione paused. Slowly, she said, "So, maybe my magic reacted to my emotions and chose for me."

"And it chose both," Harry said.

Hermione nodded. "Yes. And maybe that's why I didn't wake up. My magic drained me from doing two things at once."

"Then that must have been a powerful burst of magic that you did— or didn't do— to have knocked you out for three days."

Hermione blushed. "Yes, well, I guess it must have been." Then Hermione jumped. "Three days? I've been asleep for _three days_? Oh, Harry, I've wasted so much time, I'm—"

Harry quickly interrupted. "Hermione." But she was still mumbling, worrying over the time. "Hermione, Hermione, stop." She stopped talking and looked at him. "I don't care how much time was wasted. It was only three days. All I was worried about was you and nothing else. Okay?"

Hermione looked like she still wanted to apologize but she nodded instead, dropping the subject.

Harry stayed silent for a couple of seconds, still thinking about what had happened. "Magic is bloody confusing, isn't it?"

Hermione laughed. "Yes, it definitely is."

Harry grinned when he heard her laugh. It was crazy how much he had missed it.

"What are you smiling at?" Hermione asked.

"I'm just glad that you're finally awake," Harry answered, still grinning. In a softer tone, he said, "I really missed you."

Hermione blushed again; she could only smile at him.

The peaceful silence was interrupted by Hermione's stomach. Harry laughed at Hermione's blush.

"I take it you're hungry?"

"How could you tell?" Hermione asked with a smile on her face.

Harry smiled at her. "Oh, I have my ways. Luckily for you I actually caught something today." Harry got up to retrieve the rabbits. "It's a good thing you're awake because I have no clue how to get these done without completely burning them to ashes." He held up the rabbits.

Harry could tell that Hermione felt bad about the rabbits. "I know, Hermione, I feel bad too. But what else can we do?"

Hermione looked apprehensive but nodded anyways, her hunger winning out.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon preparing the rabbits, relishing in the company of the other. Harry couldn't really describe in words how happy he was that Hermione was alright and as he watched her try not to devour her meal, he promised himself that he would never let anything happen to her again or die trying.

* * *

><p>So there it is. I hope you guys liked the reunion. I'll try to get the next chapter to you guys ASAP but just to warn you guys: Finals and papers are coming up soon so I'll have to work on those, unfortunately. But I already have plans for the next one and I'm sure my procrastination will win out somewhere, giving me time for the next chapter or chapters, even. So yeah, I hope I don't take long but if I do, please be patient. I would greatly appreciate it :)<p>

Again, thanks for reading :)


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, guys. Sorry for the long wait; finals are nearly here and I've got several papers to write :/. It's gonna be like this for at least two more weeks. I have three more weeks left of school left, including this week and then I'm free. Which means I get to write as much as I want without it being called procrastination :) But I will try to write as much as possible from now till then. I don't want to leave you guys hanging for so much time. Thank you all for the patience and the reviews. I really appreciate it :)

A shout out to my incredible friend/editor, Andrei, who has had to wait much longer for this update. Love you lots, buddy :)

Alright, well here it is: Chapter 6. Hope you guys like it :)

Disclaimer: If I owned this, Harry wouldn't have had a kid named Albus Severus. Why? Because Hermione would have had a say in the name of her son. So, obviously this belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

_Hermione was running as fast as she could. All she could see was trees; lots and lots of trees. Everything was silent until a piercing scream cut through the silence. She screeched to a stop._

_She recognized that voice. She had never heard him in so much pain._

"_Harry!" she screamed out._

_The screaming continued. She needed to get to him, _now. _She took off again, running faster than ever._

_After what seemed like ages, she finally reached a place that looked extremely familiar. It was where Hagrid had taken her and Harry to meet Grawp; where she and Harry had led Umbridge fifth year. But now, there was no Grawp. Instead she only saw two figures: one on the ground and one standing nearby._

_Harry was still screaming but she couldn't move. It was as if some sort of barrier was keeping her from him. All she could do was watch as a cloaked figure continued to torture Harry. There was no doubt in her mind who that was._

"_Voldemort" She whispered._

_Suddenly, Harry stopped screaming. The cloaked figure looked at her and she heard a faint chuckle._

_Harry was looking around now, still not noticing her. "Harry!"_

_His attention immediately snapped to her. "Hermione!" She almost cringed at his voice; he sounded so weak. "Hermione you have to get out of here. Please!"_

_But before she could say anything, she saw a green light start to appear at the tip of the cloaked figure's wand. "No!"_

_Harry looked towards the figure. He quickly looked back at Hermione. "Hermione, I'm so sorry. I love —"_

_Before he could finish, she saw a flash of green._

"_NOOO! Harry!" She started running, forgetting that there was a barrier. Luckily, the barrier had disappeared, leaving nothing between her and Harry. "Harry!"_

_She paid no attention to the hooded figure as she dropped next to Harry's body. His eyes were still open but they weren't the vibrant green eyes she loved. "Harry, no! Please don't be dead! Please!" But Harry wasn't responding. "No, please Harry. You can't leave me. I need you," she whispered, as tears streamed down her face._

_She heard the chuckling again. "I guess this means you don't have a choice anymore, huh?"_

_Her head snapped up. She recognized that voice, too. She looked at the figure as he dropped his hood, revealing the smug grin on his face._

_Her heart stopped._

_It was Ron._

Hermione woke with a start, a cold sweat on her forehead. She lay there for a couple of seconds, regaining her breath. Another nightmare.

She'd had them much more often now. She would spend most nights tossing and turning, only to fall into fitful slumber. She'd had some here and there while at Hogwarts but they had started with a vengeance when they began this journey. They were usually about the same thing: Harry dying. This one had one glaring difference, though: Ron. When he left, all she could dream about was Ron leaving and never seeing him again. Harry dying and Ron leaving; those two nightmares would plague her sleep. But whenever she dreamt about Harry dying, it was always Voldemort who killed Harry. Seeing Ron like that, in that Death Eater robe and cold look in his eyes, that was new. It made her cold to the bone. _What a way to start the day, _she thought.

It was two days later and Hermione was feeling much better, sans the nightmare. But for the last two days, something had started to bother her and it wasn't the lack of sleep.

Ever since she had woken up, Harry had done everything for her. He provided her food, got her books for her, anything she needed, he was there. She appreciated it at first since she still tired easily from too much moving but things were different now. She didn't feel tired anymore; if anything she was just tired of lying down and doing nothing. She wanted to move around and get to work. They had wasted too much time because of her and she was beyond restless. But Harry was insistent. Anytime she started to get up, he would be by her side, asking her what she needed. It was kind of uncanny how he just seemed to appear next to her whenever she attempted to get up. She was really touched by Harry's worry over her but now wasn't the time for this. Those Horcruxes weren't going to find themselves. With this in mind, Hermione started to get up, readjusting the locket hanging from her neck in the process.

It was like clockwork. She hadn't even fully gotten up and already Harry was by her side.

"What do you need, Hermione?" Harry asked.

Hermione sighed. She was really glad to see him after that nightmare but her frustration over the last two days was starting to boil over. _Don't get mad, he's just trying to look out for you, _she thought. "Harry, it's okay. I'm just going to sit at the table and look over my books again."

"I can just bring them to you. You don't have to get up." He started to walk toward the books.

Agitated, she said, "Harry, no. I can get them myself."

Harry stopped short. "But Hermione, you're still—"

"Harry, just let me do this okay?" she snapped.

He sighed. "Fine, Hermione." Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the tent.

Hermione felt bad for reacting like that, especially when all she'd really wanted to do was hug him, but if she didn't say something the same thing would just keep happening and she didn't want that. She walked over to the table and sat down, wasting no time in opening her books and immersing herself in them as always.

Outside, Harry sat watching as the sun travelled across the sky. As he sat there, he wished he hadn't reacted like that. Since she had woken up, he hadn't let her do anything which was fine at first because she actually needed it but now, it wasn't necessary. He knew that, but he just couldn't help it. He had almost lost her; now he was just so grateful she was safe that he was doing anything to keep it that way. But that wasn't making Hermione happy at all, at least not for the past day. He knew she was annoyed with him and her wearing the locket wasn't helping. _You need to stop it or it's going to be like before, _his mind snapped at him. _You know perfectly well that she can take care of herself and then some._ Harry sighed. _Hermione is fine now. You both need to focus on the task at hand. That's probably why she's annoyed. She wants to get back to work. _Harry frowned. Getting scolded by his own mind was no fun, especially when that voice sounded a lot like Hermione's.

Resolving to ease up on the over-protectiveness, Harry stood up and began to survey the perimeter.

_####_

Harry returned to the tent's entrance almost an hour later. Surveying the perimeter usually didn't take that long but the forest was just so beautiful; so much pure, untouched snow and a silence that could only bring a sense of peace to Harry. Harry knew that if he survived this thing, he would definitely be visiting this forest again.

As he neared the entrance, Harry could hear what sounded like music. It took him a second to realize where it was coming from: Ron had left his radio behind. He stood there for a second longer, amazed that Hermione was able to find a signal to a station out here, and to a muggle one at that.

As he walked in he noticed Hermione was no longer sitting at the table. Instead she was sitting by his cot near the radio, with her arms wrapped around her knees. She didn't look at him as he sat down on the other side of the tent. As he sat there, he couldn't help but stare at her. The music faded to the background as he took in her features.

She was beautiful.

This is something he had realized long ago. Fourth year to be exact. Seeing her at the top of the steps in that amazing dress, he couldn't think of anything else but her beauty. It seemed strange to him that he hadn't noticed until then but from that moment on, he never forgot it. She was beautiful, no matter whether she was off to a fancy ball or to fight evil doers.

He couldn't live without her.

This thought had become a regular occurrence now. A day didn't go by anymore where he didn't think about how he almost lost her again and how lost he would be if she wasn't in his life. He would rather die than live a life where he couldn't see her smile, or hear her laugh, or hear her spout off some fact about something or other. Hermione was a part of him now; without her, he wouldn't be complete.

Before he knew what he was doing, Harry began walking towards her. His body seemed to be on auto pilot, obeying something his mind had decided without him fully acknowledging it. His heartbeat and the music were the only things he could hear. She looked up at him just as he stopped in front of her. Without hesitating, his hand reached out to her, silently asking her a question. A flicker of doubt filled her eyes before she reached out, placing her hands in his. Once she stood up, Harry reached around her neck, freeing her from the cold locket that had hung there since yesterday.

Hermione could do nothing but stare at him. She couldn't figure out the look in his eyes. She felt a shiver run through her body as his hands touched her neck, removing the locket. He threw the locket onto his cot and stared at her again. His gaze was so intense. She wanted to look away but found that she couldn't; she was captivated.

Harry felt like he was going to burst from all of the emotions swirling inside him. He could feel the confusion and the doubt and something much stronger threatening to spill over. Once he threw the locket onto his cot, he looked at Hermione and started to pull her towards the middle of the tent.

_Hey little train! We're jumping on  
>the train that goes to the Kingdom<em>

Hermione was more confused than ever. She could do nothing but let him pull her along. Her emotions were going haywire; she didn't know what to think. The look in his eyes and the feel of her hands in his were overriding her senses. He finally stopped in the middle of the tent. For a moment he stood still, only staring at her. Then he started moving. _Oh god…_

Harry felt like a complete idiot. He saw the confusion in her eyes. If he had the ability to speak right now he would try to explain, but his knowledge of the English language had left the tent the second he stood up. He stopped when they reached the middle of the tent. Reason was finally starting to seep into his mind. He couldn't believe what he was about to do but before reason stopped him completely, he started moving.

_We're happy, ma, we're having fun,_

_the train ain't even in the station_

He was _dancing_. _Harry_ was dancing. And he wanted her to dance with him. She felt silly. Dancing in the middle of a tent, in the middle of a war…it just didn't fit. But the look on his face stopped her. He was smiling. She could feel herself giving in as he began to spin her.

Harry had never felt more nervous or silly in his life. Dancing now, in the middle of a tent, in the middle of the night? Was he crazy? Yes, maybe a little. He could see the hesitation on her face; he knew she was thinking the same thing. But as he started to move her, he found that he didn't care whether this was silly or not. All he knew was that they needed this; they needed to feel like teenagers again, without a care in the world.

_Hey, little train! Wait for me!_

_I once was blind but now I see_

She could feel herself start to smile. Harry's smile was infectious. So what if this was silly? Their world had been filled with nothing but danger and uncertainty. Didn't they deserve a moment where they could just forget it all?

Harry's nerves disappeared the moment the smile appeared on her face. He let his fears and doubts drop to the back of his mind. All he could think about was her and her smile.

_Have you left a seat for me?  
>Is that such a stretch of the imagination?<em>

He was a horrible dancer. She remembered seeing him dance at the Yule Ball and this only made her smile even more. The fact that he didn't know how to dance only made this even more touching. Here he was making an absolute fool of himself for her. _Just to make me feel better, _she thought with a smile.

He was making a fool of himself and he knew it. His first experience with dancing had been at the Yule Ball and that had been a train wreck. But that didn't matter now because Hermione didn't care; it didn't matter as long as it made her smile.

_Hey little train! Wait for me! I was held in chains but now I'm free  
>I'm hanging in there, don't you see in this process of elimination<em>

She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy. Seeing Harry twirl for her sent a giddiness through her that she couldn't control. Being silly is something Harry wasn't prone to doing and she knew in that exact moment that no one had ever seen Harry like this. This Harry was for her eyes only.

It always amazed him how easy it was to forget his troubles when Hermione was around; how easy it was for him to let his guard down around her. He always felt so incredibly at ease with her and not for the first time, he thanked the gods that she was in his life._  
><em>  
><em>Hey little train! We are all jumping on, the train that goes to the Kingdom<br>We're happy, ma, we're having fun. It's beyond my wildest expectation_

Harry was overriding her senses. The smell of him, the feel of him, was becoming ingrained into her mind. Never before had she felt like this with anybody; like she could do and say anything. Her hands felt tingly in his, her head dizzy with happiness, her heart full of love for her best friend.

Harry couldn't think straight; both his mind and heart were filled with overpowering happiness. So much happiness that he felt like he was going to burst. All of his senses were being overwhelmed with Hermione: the smell of her hair, the feel of her body against his, the sound of her laughter, the sight of her smile. If he could, he would stay like this forever.

_Hey little train! We're jumping on the train that goes to the Kingdom_

_We're happy, Ma, we're having fun, the train ain't even in the station…_

They were so close. The song was fading, static taking its place before going quiet completely. The only sound in the tent was the loud beating of two hearts, the slow breathing of two people who were beginning to feel the pressure on their shoulders returning.

Harry slowly stepped back and looked at Hermione. She was so close. He could see every gold fleck in her brown eyes, every freckle on her nose. If he dipped his head just an inch lower, his lips would easily touch hers. The look in her eyes was intoxicating; he couldn't look away. His eyes flicked to her lips quickly before looking back into her eyes. He could feel his head start to lower.

He was so close; closer than ever before. His eyes, which had been so bright just a moment before, were now a dark green. She could see how his lashes touched his cheeks every time he blinked. She saw him look at her lips and couldn't help but lower her eyes to look at his. She wanted to kiss him. Her heart quickened as she felt his head dip closer to hers.

Just as their lips were about to touch, Hermione took a step back with Harry not far behind. She couldn't look at him. They both knew why.

"Ron-" she started.

Harry looked away from her. "Yeah...Ron," he whispered.

Ron had left them but somewhere in the back of their minds they still felt some kind of loyalty towards him. But neither could deny the disappointment that was coursing through them. Hermione took another step back, gaining enough courage to look at Harry again. He remained silent, not really knowing what to say to get rid of the tense silence that now filled the tent. Before it could get any worse, Hermione turned away, walking towards the entrance to take watch.

"Hermione" Harry called.

She stopped but didn't turn around. She was afraid of what she might do if she looked into his eyes again.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Hermione slowly turned to look at him. He still had the same look but now it was laced with disappointment. She was sure she had the same look in her eyes.

"Me, too" she whispered.

And with that, she walked out, both knowing perfectly well that they weren't sorry because of Ron.

* * *

><p>And there it is. You guys didn't think I would leave such an amazing scene out of this story did you? Never in a million years! My love for that scene cannot be expressed properly with words. More like with incoherent noises and tears. I just love it so much! I hope I did that scene justice here. If I didn't, be sure to tell me. Again, hope you guys liked it :)<p>

Thanks for reading :)


	7. Chapter 7

**I am so sorry. It has been almost a month since I last updated and I feel horrible about that. Unfortunately, real life called and I had to take care of it. College during finals is not fun, let me tell you and then I had to move out and get settled back in at home. Luckily, I'm all settled now with about three months of absolutely nothing to do. This means I get to write as much as I want, whenever I want :) I assure you guys that the next update will not take as long as this one.**

**Alright, so here it is. Chapter 7... I hope you guys like it :)**

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns; I do not.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

He had almost kissed her. She had almost kissed _Harry_.

Hermione was sitting outside, keeping watch. But her surroundings were the last thing on her mind.

The moment they had just shared was amazing. Up until the almost kiss, that is. No one had ever made her feel that happy before. Ever. The only other moment she could think of that came close was getting her letter to Hogwarts when she was eleven; dancing with Harry may have just beat that, though.

But they had almost _kissed._

She had known early on in their friendship that she loved Harry. There was no doubt about it. He was her first friend and that meant the world to her. This love, however, had been completely platonic. She admired Harry and everything he represented. She had come to learn that he could be extremely stubborn and rash sometimes but, even then, she admired him. She'd never met anybody like him and definitely no one with his particular situation. It had shocked her a bit when she realized that she would do anything and go anywhere for Harry. She had never felt such loyalty to anybody before and she didn't think she ever would. Of course, there was Ron, but that was different. That had always been different. She could go to Harry for anything. She knew that he wasn't the best at dealing with emotions but she also knew that for his friends, he would do anything, like deal with their tears and jealousy over another boy.

It had started to change during fifth year. The change was almost imperceptible; she talked and thought about Harry constantly so she didn't really notice that she had started thinking about him more. She didn't do anything about what she felt though; if anything, she became really good at ignoring those feelings. Harry didn't think of her like that especially that year when all he could think about was Cho Chang; then he had to deal with Sirius' death. So she pushed her feelings aside and instead focused all her energy on helping Harry. Her feelings for Ron had come somewhat unexpected, as well. She knew that he liked her since fourth year but she put it up to him being jealous about her and Viktor. Her jealousy during sixth year was surprising, though. She never really thought she felt much about Ron, at least not that way. He had become like a sort of brother to her and with all that bickering, it wasn't hard to see why. But seeing him with Lavender hadn't sat well with her.

That year, she spent more time with Harry than with anybody else. She liked spending time with him. She felt like he was more open with her during those moments and she cherished them greatly. It was in moments like those where her feelings would start to resurface but she would push them down just as quickly. Harry hadn't shown any romantic interest in her and that year, he kissed Ginny. No, he definitely wasn't thinking about her like that. Then what should have been their seventh year came and Ron was being more supportive than ever. He still had his moments but he was there for her, for the most part. So she started falling for him. That's how it had been until Ron left and until she had almost kissed Harry. She had no control over her feelings in those minutes that she spent dancing with him. She had been so happy that she didn't give a second thought to reigning in her feelings or to start doubting anything. As soon as the dance was over, she had started to push those feelings away and she would've succeeded if it hadn't been for the look in his eyes. That look was completely new to her; it was mesmerizing. She remembered that somewhere in the back of her mind, somebody was yelling at her to look away but she couldn't. When she saw his eyes flick to her lips she knew she was in danger of doing something they might regret but she still couldn't look away. Being that close to Harry had her heart racing and her mind going blank. She had never wanted to kiss anybody as badly as she did Harry. Granted, she had never had much opportunity to feel that way but she was sure that if she had, none would compare to this one. She couldn't really describe her disappointment when reality sank in; one look into his eyes and she knew that he felt the same. Now, here she was, going crazy over a moment that should've never happened. Nothing in the world was more important to her than Harry's friendship. What had happened between them was nothing more than a heat of the moment sort of thing. She wasn't going to let something like that ruin what she had with Harry. No matter how much she wanted it.

"Hermione?"

She was sure she had jumped several inches off the ground when she heard his voice. She quickly turned to face him, trying but failing to push what she had been feeling away.

"Yes, Harry?" she said, inwardly cringing at the high pitch of her voice.

"Uh…I was just—um…where are we? I've been wondering," he finished lamely.

"Oh, we're in the Forest of Dean." She looked out into the darkness, a solemn look on her face. "I camped here with my parents once."

Harry only looked at her, wishing he could say more. He looked away as her gaze returned to him. "Oh, well it's very nice. In the daytime, at least." He paused. "Maybe I should take watch now. You've been out here for a while. You must be tired."

Hermione tried not to show her disappointment. What had she been expecting? For him to come spilling his guts out to her? _No, of course not_, she thought. Plus, hadn't she just decided that she wasn't going to let that moment ruin their friendship?

Sighing, she said, "Uh, yeah actually I'm pretty tired. Thanks, Harry." She smiled at him.

Harry's face flushed; thankfully, it was kind of dark out here so she didn't notice. "No problem, Hermione. It's only fair, right?"

"Right," she said as she got up. Before walking in, she turned and said, "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Hermione." He smiled at her as she stepped into the tent, disappearing from view.

Harry sat down, preparing for the long night ahead of him. It didn't take long for his mind to wander back to what he had been thinking of a couple of seconds earlier. Harry had been obsessing over that moment just as much as Hermione had. He still couldn't believe that he had almost kissed Hermione; his _best friend_, Hermione. What surprised him even more is how much he had wanted to kiss her. He'd never felt such a strong urge to kiss anybody, not even Ginny. He should've known that his attempt to lighten the mood wouldn't have worked; most things never worked out for him so why would this? _That's not true and you know it. She was happy and so were you. _But what about now? Harry wouldn't be able to handle having Hermione mad at him, although it didn't seem like that was the case when he came out here to take her place.

Why had he almost kissed her? He hadn't ever considered that before so why now? He knew she was beautiful, of that there was no doubt, but Harry wasn't so thick not to notice how Ron felt towards Hermione, even if Ron wasn't always so clear on those feelings himself. He noticed fourth year, when Ron got incredibly jealous of Viktor Krum, someone he had idolized and obsessed over since the World Cup. He didn't understand it at first, but it soon became clear: Ron had feelings for Hermione. Harry couldn't say that this bothered him too much; in fact, he hadn't thought much about it. The only thing he worried over was being left behind by his best friends. Deep down he knew that would never happen but that didn't stop him from worrying. So he knew how Ron felt but he had no clue how Hermione felt, not until six year that is. Ron was getting a lot of attention, something Harry didn't mind in the least, and with that attention came Lavender Brown. Harry honestly never understood why Ron had been with Lavender but summed it up to being about Ron's love of attention; something Lavender was very good at giving to the point of being extremely annoying. Hermione's reaction to all of this had caught Harry by surprise. He knew Hermione didn't hate Ron but they fought all the time. The idea of Hermione liking Ron seemed kind of crazy to him but then again, he had never been great with the opposite sex and especially not with their feelings.

Ron and Hermione's feelings became clearer the summer before what should have been their last at Hogwarts. They weren't fighting as much and Ron was being more protective than ever of Hermione. There were moments where Harry felt a sort of loneliness at seeing his best friends like that but for the most part, he was happy for them. Plus, he had Ginny and even though she wasn't always with him, he really liked her. He had to admit, though, his feelings for her had come out of nowhere.

For a long time, Ginny had been Ron's little sister and nothing else. Not until fifth year did he start seeing her like an actual friend, someone he could count on. To this day, he couldn't really figure out when and how he had started falling for Ginny but it wasn't hard for him to see why. She was beautiful, smart, athletic, and brave. But so was Hermione, except for the athletic part, of course. Hermione was…he couldn't even describe her; words weren't enough. She was his best friend, the one person he knew he could always count on no matter what. She was his voice of reason; he knew how rash he could be and, even though he didn't always like it, she was always there, forcing him to think about his decisions. She was his confidant; he knew he could tell her anything. Sometimes it was like she was his mind; it never ceases to amaze him how well she knows him, to the point where she can figure him out with just one look. He felt incredibly lucky, proud even, that he could do the same with her. They were so in sync with each other; he'd never had that with anybody before and he probably never would. He liked to think that maybe one day that could happen with Ginny but deep down, he knew that would never happen. Hermione had been with him through everything, a feat that no one else could say truthfully. He doubted anyone would ever know him as well as Hermione and that was something he was completely okay with. But he had almost kissed her so what did that mean? Did he like her now?

_Maybe you've had these feelings for a while but decided to push them away because of Ron. _

It was true that ever since fourth year, Harry saw Hermione in a different light. She wasn't just his bookworm best friend anymore, but a beautiful woman as well. If he were honest, it wouldn't be hard to fall for Hermione; anybody would be lucky to be with her. She was amazing in every way: beautiful, extremely intelligent, funny, cute, courageous as hell, loyal, honest, talented…_incredibly_ _beautiful, _he thought.

Suddenly, a faint, glowing ball of light appeared up ahead. Harry snapped to attention, pulling out his wand as he quickly looked around. When he looked back at the light, Harry saw that it was no longer just a ball but an animal. It looked like a stag but without the antlers; _a deer? _he thought. Before he could figure it out, the animal started walking away.

"No, wait" Harry called out.

When the animal didn't stop, Harry quickly followed. What he was following though, was still a mystery. _It looks like a patronus but I didn't hear anyone say the incantation. _Whatever it was, Harry felt safe; deep down he could feel that the animal meant him no harm.

"Lumos" he whispered.

They were nearing an opening now that was occupied mostly by a pond. Harry stopped at the edge of the frozen water but the animal kept moving until it reached the middle of the pond. It started forming back into a small ball, sinking down into the water in the process. As Harry carefully walked further, he could still see its faint glow through the ice. Crouching down, he saw something else, however. Once he wiped the snow off the surface, he could see it clearly: the sword of Godric Gryffindor. A thrill of excitement went through Harry as he looked around once again to see if anybody was nearby. Seeing no one, he looked down again. _Why is it at the bottom of a pond?_

"_Accio_ sword." The sword didn't budge.

Harry stood there for a second longer before it hit him. _The sword only comes to brave Gryffindors. _Dread replaced the excitement he had felt only a second before as he realized what he would have to do.

"_Diffindo_."

Not wanting to lose any of his nerve, Harry began removing his clothes.

####

Back in the tent, Hermione had come to the decision that it would be better to at least talk about what happened before it did any damage. Mustering up as much bravery as she could, Hermione stepped out of the tent, intent on resolving whatever issues might have come up after the dance.

"Harry—. " She quickly stopped when she noticed that Harry was nowhere in sight. Panic immediately filled her as she pulled her wand out. "Harry!" She hadn't heard anything while she was inside. If someone had found them, surely a commotion would have ensued and she would have heard it. Nothing of the sort had happened and yet, Harry was gone. "_Lumos!_"

"Harry?" she called out. Nothing but silence called back to her. "Harry!"

She moved her wand around in front of her, looking at the trails left by Harry and herself without any clue as to which one Harry had taken now.

_Just pick one!_

With her wand at the ready, Hermione quickly started walking forward.

####

The water was beyond freezing. His body went numb the second it touched the water. Not wanting to waste any more time, Harry submerged and started swimming. Time seemed to slow down as he swam towards the sword. His body and mind only registered the extreme coldness that engulfed him at the moment and somewhere in the back of his mind, Harry registered that the locket around his neck was even colder than the water. He pushed those thoughts aside and focused solely on the sword; he was so close. Just as his hand reached the sword's hilt, the locket constricted around his neck, pulling him backwards. All thoughts of the sword disappeared as the locket dragged Harry away from much needed air. Harry thrashed around, trying to get the locket off of his neck but it wasn't working. It was as if the locket knew it was in danger around the sword and was trying to get as far away as possible. Harry was starting to lose consciousness as the locket grew tighter around his neck.

He imagined Hermione back in the tent, not knowing that Harry wouldn't be there when she woke up. He could already see the look of panic on her face as worry consumed her; Harry could only feel sorry that he would be the reason for that worry. Harry's vision was getting darker; his hands were slacking around the locket. _I'm sorry, Hermione…_

What sounded like heavy footsteps broke through the haze of Harry's mind. Harry had no time to process the sound before everything finally went black.

###

The panic that Hermione felt was overwhelming. She had been walking for ten minutes but they felt more like hours. There was still no sign of Harry and this was scaring her beyond belief. If anything had happened to him…_Stop it. Don't think like that. Harry…he's going to be fine. You'll see. He probably just went off on a walk and didn't think to tell you…_ Hermione could think of nothing else to make her feel better. Nothing would make her feel better until she saw Harry's face; until she saw that he was safe and sound.

She needed to find Harry _now_.

###

"Harry! Harry, wake up, mate! Come on, wake up!"

_Ron?_

"Yeah, it's me, Harry. It's just me, Ron. Wake up, come on."

Harry slowly opened his eyes. Everything was blurry. Each breath he took was both a blessing and a pain; his lungs felt like they were on fire but at least he was breathing again. His eyebrows knotted in confusion. Why was everything blurry?

"Oh, your glasses. Here you go, mate," said Ron, putting the glasses on Harry's face.

Ron's face came into focus as he slowly got up. His face was etched with concern, his eyes glued on Harry.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

Ron looked away, remorse replacing the concern. "I…I was looking for you guys. For a while now, actually."

"How did you find us?"

"It's uh—it's actually pretty strange. The deluminator brought me here." Upon seeing Harry's look of confusion, he continued. "Yeah, I know. Strange, right? I was just sitting in this dingy little inn, thinking of you guys. Then all of a sudden this ball of light appeared out of nowhere. It went into my chest and I just had a feeling that this was going to lead me to you guys. So I apparated and landed here. I'd only been here five minutes when I saw the patronus and then you."

"Did you see who cast it?" asked Harry.

"No, I thought you had at first but your patronus has antlers doesn't it?"

"Yeah. So then who cast the patronus?"

"No idea, mate" Ron said. "But what the bloody hell were you thinking when you jumped into that lake?"

"I had to get the sword." Harry stopped, looking around. "Where's the sword?"

"It's over there by the water. I grabbed it when I jumped in there to get you."

"Oh, well…thanks."

"Yeah, no problem. I know you would do the same."

An awkward silence settled between them. Before Harry could say anything Ron said, "Oh, here's the locket. I had to practically _reducto_ it off your chest."

Harry held the cold locket in his hands. It was calmer now but still twitching now and then. The locket was so small and yet Harry knew that it was full of tremendous evil. _We have to destroy this _now. Harry quickly got up and walked over to the sword. He could feel Ron behind him as he picked it up.

Harry said "We have to get rid of this thing."

Ron nodded. "Maybe we could use that rock over there."

"Yeah, good idea." Harry placed the locket on the flat surface of the rock. He looked down at the sword in his hands and then to Ron. "I think you should do it."

"What? Why?" asked Ron.

"You're the one who got the sword out. It seems right don't you think?"

Uncertainty crossed Ron's features. "I—I don't—", he stuttered.

"Ron, you can do this" Harry said, placing his hand on Ron's shoulder. "I know you can."

Ron stayed silent for a moment before nodding, gaining confidence from Harry's statement. "Alright, I'll do it."

Harry handed Ron the sword. "Alright, I'm pretty sure I know how to open it. Prepare yourself, though; it's bound to put up a fight."

Ron gave a short nod, gripping the sword's hilt tighter in both hands.

"Ready?"

Raising the sword over his head, Ron said "Let's get this over with."

###

Hermione was lost and this was doing nothing to help her nerves. She didn't know how long she'd been walking; all she knew was that she still hadn't found Harry. For all she knew, he could be back at the tent, worrying over _her_. _Oh, if he's back at the tent, I'm going to kill him. _Hermione suddenly stopped short. Had she heard yelling? She looked around, straining her ears. Just as she was about to keep walking, she heard him.

"Ron, stab it!"

_Harry._

She started running to her left, throwing all caution to the wind. As she got closer, she could hear another voice, a much deeper voice. It didn't take long for her to reach the clearing but what she saw was unlike anything she had seen before. Harry was in front of her, with Ron farther up ahead to the side. Ron's presence barely registered as she stared at what was coming out of the locket. She couldn't make out anything as it swirled around. It wasn't until a couple of seconds later that Hermione realized that it was talking to Ron.

"Loved least by a mother who wanted a daughter."

Hermione quickly realized that it was playing on Ron's fears, desperately trying to protect itself.

"Loved least by the girl who prefers your friend."

Before Hermione had time to register this, the mass started giving way to two figures. Hermione's jaw dropped; it was her and Harry. They were breathtaking and horrible at the same time.

"Why did you have to come back? We were so happy without you," said locket-Harry.

"What are you but a waste of space?" Locket-Hermione said. "Who would want you around when I could have him?"

Locket-Harry continued, "It was better with you gone. We work better without you."

"With you gone, I realized how much better I could do. Why would I want you? You're nothing. Nothing compared to him."

Before any of them could react to their words, Harry and Hermione's locket counterparts started kissing. It was a passionate kiss, one that didn't hold anything back. All three of them were riveted on the figures. Hermione was too shocked to do anything. She couldn't look away and neither could Ron. Harry was the first to snap out of it.

"Ron! Don't listen to it! Just stab it! Stab it now, Ron!"

But Ron wasn't listening; his eyes were glued to the figures of Harry and Hermione who were still ardently kissing.

Harry stood up. "Ron, you have to ignore it! You can do it! I know you can!"

Harry's words finally snapped Ron out of his trance. With a look of utter determination on his face, Ron stood up and charged toward the locket. Without hesitation, Ron raised his arms and stabbed the locket with all of his might. A sharp scream filled the clearing before abruptly stopping. Ron dropped to his knees as silence replaced the scream.

Harry slowly walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Good job, mate."

"Thanks" said Ron tiredly.

What they had just seen still had them both in shock. Harry didn't know that Ron was so insecure over his and Hermione's relationship. He wanted to say something to comfort Ron; to reassure him that nothing was or ever would happen between him and Hermione but he couldn't. Recent events had confused him, making him think about feelings that he never thought he had. Before he could think of anything to say, however, another voice broke the silence.

###

Hermione couldn't believe what she just saw. She knew that Ron had always been insecure when it came to Harry but she didn't know that it went that far. What scared her though, was that on any other day, she would have been able to say with absolute certainty that Ron's insecurities were for naught. Now, however, she wasn't so sure. She had come to a point where her feelings for Harry had become easy to handle and push away… until she had almost kissed him; until _he_ had almost kissed _her_. If Ron found out about that… _He can't and he won't. _She knew that she couldn't let Ron know that she had seen his deepest insecurities; he would die of embarrassment, she was sure, but then again, who wouldn't? Despite everything they had been through, they were still teenagers filled with insecurities that they would rather keep to themselves. Ron didn't really deserve much at this point from her or Harry but he was still her friend and no matter how much she hated him at the moment, she still cared for him. With this in mind, Hermione started walking forward.

"Harry!"

Harry and Ron's heads both snapped up at the sound of her voice. "Hermione."

The same thought crossed both Harry and Ron's mind at the same time: What had she seen?

"What are you two doing here?" she was talking about both of them but only looking at Harry. What Ron had just done didn't erase the fact that he had left them; she was pretty sure that nothing ever would. "Why aren't you back at the tent?"

Ron's shoulders sagged in relief; she hadn't seen the locket's little show. Harry didn't know whether to be relieved or upset. He needed to talk to someone about what he had just seen and Hermione had been his only option; after what had happened between them, she may not have been the best option but he was absolutely sure that he could not talk about it with Ron.

"I—well, it's actually a long story, Hermione," Harry said.

Hermione wasn't having it, however. "Give me the condensed version then."

Harry shared a look with Ron, who shrugged. Harry sighed and said, "A patronus led me to this pond; the sword was at the bottom. I dived in to get it but the locket started strangling me. Ron came and saved me and then we destroyed the locket. Well, Ron destroyed it."

Ron shook his head and stood up. "No, it was both of us, mate."

Hermione looked at both of them. So they weren't going to tell her. She had to admit that a small part of her had hoped that at least Harry would say something but she also knew that Harry wouldn't do something like that to Ron.

Hermione sighed and looked at Harry. "You should have told me. What if Ron hadn't decided to come back at this convenient moment? You could've ended up dead."

"I know, Hermione, and I'm sorry. I just got caught up in the moment, I guess." Harry looked at her; he hoped she wouldn't get mad at him. "You know, like always," he added.

A small smile appeared on Hermione's face much to Harry's relief. "Well, at least the locket has been destroyed. That's definitely a good thing and having the sword doesn't hurt either."

Harry nodded. Ron just stared at Hermione but she was ignoring him. He did well, of that there was no doubt, but Hermione was still hurt about him leaving and that wouldn't go away that easily. Harry could feel the tension between Ron and Hermione. If he was any good with feelings he would say something, but he wasn't so he remained silent. Knowing Hermione, this would last for a while. He knew that if Ron ever came back, Hermione wouldn't immediately forgive him; she'd make him suffer a bit first. He didn't feel bad for Ron, though; he deserved it, at least for a while.

Hermione was the first to tire of the silence. "Alright, we should head back then. It wouldn't do to be caught tonight; not when real progress has finally been made."

Harry smiled. Despite what he saw, Hermione was right. Real progress had finally been made. One more horcrux was destroyed and they now had the sword. And Ron was back. Harry could only smile as he and Ron followed Hermione back to the tent.

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><p><strong>And there it is. Again, sorry for the wait. I feel horrible and I will try my best not to let it happen again. So don't hate me, please lol.<strong>

**Hope you guys liked it. Maybe you'd like to leave a review?**

**Anyways, thanks for reading :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Alright, well here's the next chapter. Hope you guys like it :)

Disclaimer: I think it's obvious that this doesn't belong to me :(

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Ron was on his best behavior for the next couple of days but that did nothing to make Hermione any more lenient towards him. There were times when Harry wanted to say something to Hermione but in all honesty, Ron deserved it. While he wasn't giving Ron the cold shoulder, he couldn't deny that there were still some tense moments between them. Ron had come back but what's to say that he wouldn't leave them again? He was sure that Hermione was thinking along the same lines. Deep down, he knew that their friendships with Ron would never be like they were before. Harry had told Ron how Hermione had been when he left; Ron said he understood but Harry didn't think he did, not completely anyway. No one would ever understand how horrible those first few days were without him. How Harry and Hermione didn't even talk to each other for whole days sometimes; how they went out of their way to keep away from each other. How Harry had to pretend that Hermione wasn't crying so she could suffer in peace. Those days were excruciating and they were all Ron's fault.

There were tense moments with Hermione as well. Harry knew that he was acting differently towards her. He desperately wanted to talk to her about what he saw but he just couldn't bring himself to do that to Ron; he wasn't cruel like that. He also knew that Hermione noticed and he dreaded the moment she would call him out on it. A part of him, the darker side of him, knew that what Ron felt should be the last thing on his mind right now but the other part of him, the more powerful side, couldn't do that. He knew how Ron felt towards Hermione and what the locket showed only reinforced that in his mind. He knew how Hermione felt towards Ron at the moment but he didn't know if that's how it would always be. Whatever slim opportunity existed between Harry and Hermione before seemed to be growing smaller and smaller in Harry's mind.

"Harry, can I talk to you?" Hermione said.

Harry turned to look at her, his train of thought completely disappearing. Hermione quickly glanced at Ron from the entrance of the tent, who for all intents and purposes, she was still ignoring, before saying, "Alone?"

"Oh, okay, sure", said Harry.

They walked out of the tent, leaving Ron with a confused expression on his face.

Hermione led Harry away from the tent, not saying anything on the way. Harry followed silently, not wanting to disturb the train of thought that was most likely happening at record speed in Hermione's mind. He had a bad feeling that he knew where this was going but hoped that he was wrong. As soon as they were out of earshot, Hermione rounded on him.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she said.

_Were you really expecting anything else, Potter?_ "What do you mean?" He looked at her but she didn't say anything. "Ron's back, what could possibly be wrong?" After a short pause, he added, "Other than the obvious, anyway."

She regarded him silently for a couple of seconds before saying, "Well you've been acting differently ever since Ron came back."

"Is that bad?" Harry asked, dubiously.

"No, Harry, it's not. I'm just trying to understand why."

"Because Ron is back, Hermione, that's why." Harry said, in an exasperated tone.

Hermione stayed silent, trying to find another way around to the topic. She had a good idea as to why Harry was acting differently but she wanted to hear him say it. Harry just stared at her, confused. Sure he was acting differently, but wasn't the reason obvious? Ron was finally back; they weren't alone anymore. Not that he minded being alone with Hermione; on the contrary, all of this time alone with her these past few weeks have proven otherwise. And if he was completely honest with himself, he liked it a little too much. And suddenly, with that thought, Harry understood what Hermione was talking about. It was just as he thought: Hermione was too perceptive not to notice even small changes to Harry's behavior.

"You mean with you."

Hermione blinked. "What?"

"You mean I've been acting differently with you." Harry said, slowly.

"I-well no, I mean-"she stuttered.

He sighed. "Hermione, Ron is back."

This seemed to snap Hermione out of it. "Yes, Harry, he is. And?" she said briskly.

Harry took a moment. And? What exactly did that mean? There's no denying that things became a little different between the two of them these past couple of weeks. With Ron gone, they had no one but each other and that brought them closer together, if that was even possible. But something else had changed. He had almost lost her. Again. And while he stayed up, day and night, waiting for her to wake up, Harry realized something that had taken him far too long to fully understand: He couldn't live without her. Every moment he had ever shared with her, the good and bad, had crossed his mind during this time, making him realize just how much he needed her in his life. He felt a little stupid afterward. Shouldn't he have known this long ago? Without her-well he didn't even like entertaining the thought but he knew that he wouldn't survive it. With these thoughts in mind, his deep desire to keep her safe and sound had only multiplied ten-fold. It didn't matter if he died in the process; he'd rather be dead than to have to see Hermione like that. He would do the same for Ron and the others, this he knew. But it was different with Hermione. It had always been different with her. Then, he had almost kissed her and from that moment on, not a day passed where he didn't think about kissing her. But now Ron was back and he would do anything to protect Hermione, just like him.

Harry realized that he'd probably went too long without saying anything so he quickly said, "I just-I just thought you had feelings for Ron." _Bloody hell, did I really just say that?_

Hermione was taken aback as well. "Well, yes, I did but…"

"So, what are you saying? That you don't anymore?" Harry's heart started beating a little faster.

_It's not the same anymore; it will never be the same again. _That's what she should have said but instead, she stayed silent. The silence was all Harry needed for an answer. "I guess that's why Hermione. Because whatever happened between us aside, you still don't know how you feel-"

"And how do you know that?" said Hermione, who was starting to get angry. "How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because you don't even know yourself! You just proved that when you didn't answer my question!" In the back of his mind, Harry knew he shouldn't be yelling at her, not only because it wasn't safe, but because he didn't like where this was going. He couldn't really help it, though.

"Well what do you expect me to say, Harry? That I've figured out all of these feelings in a matter of hours? It doesn't work like that!" Hermione said, glaring at him.

Harry didn't know what to say. All of the thoughts that kept popping up in his head only sounded like things that would get her even angrier. She didn't give him much time to think of something to say, however.

"You know, it's funny that you're bringing up what's happened now. Now, when we can't really talk about it without Ron getting suspicious."

Harry quickly thought about Ron back in the tent, wondering where they were. That thought didn't last long, though. Harry just glared at her. "What do you want me to say? That I can't believe that another one of my dumb ideas got you hurt again? That I almost went mad with worry over you? Is that it? Do you want me to say how scared I was, being all alone, without you to calm me down? How happy and relieved I was to finally have you awake? How much I wanted to make you happy and see you smile again, to take some of your despair away, even if just for a little? Is that what you want me to say?"

"I don't know Harry, but something would be better than nothing!" she said.

"Well then, that's it, isn't it? I've said it!"

"Oh well, what a nice way to bring it up! When we're fighting!" she spat.

"We're not fighting!" Harry snapped. He sighed; he didn't want to fight with her. "Look Hermione, I...I don't know what happened between us and I don't know why. Maybe because we were alone; maybe because Ron was gone and I was there. Maybe because you were finally awake and I didn't want to be alone. Maybe we were just scared." He paused. "Maybe it was just a way to fill the empty space, to take our minds off of reality, even if just for a couple of moments."

Hermione just stared, not really knowing how to respond. Harry saw this. He knew he should stop talking but his brain wasn't letting him. "Maybe we should just forget what happened. At least until you figure out how you feel about everything."

Hermione couldn't really wrap her mind around what he was saying. _Forget what happened?_ That was the last thing she wanted. _Is that really what he wants? _ She regained enough of her wits to say this, however: "How do _you_ feel about it, Harry?"

"I don't know, Hermione." For a moment, just a small moment, Hermione's pain showed in her eyes. It didn't last long but Harry caught in anyway. "I'm just confused, Hermione."

With that last sentence, Hermione had regained her composure. She was all business now. "Well then maybe you're right. Maybe we should forget it."

_Oh, no._ Harry quickly said,"That's not exactly what I-"

"No, you're right, Harry. I think it would be for the best. We should just focus on the task at hand; on why we're really here."

And with that, Hermione walked off, leaving Harry more confused than before.

####

When Harry returned to the tent, he had been expecting to hear silence. Instead, he heard Hermione, who sounded extremely angry.

"Ron, I swear if you don't leave me alone this instant—"

"But, Hermione we need to talk about this," interrupted Ron.

"Talk about this? Talk about what exactly, Ron? How you left us?" Harry was still outside but he could clearly imagine the remorse on Ron's face. "Here's the thing, Ronald. I don't want to talk to you. I don't even want to see you, to be honest. Let me just tell you this: the moment you left, everything changed. _Everything. _No matter what happens, that will always be there. We may reach a point where everything seems like it's fine, but that will never be forgotten. So don't expect it to go back to how it used to be. If you do, you will be sorely disappointed." She paused, letting the words sink in. "For your own safety, stay away from me."

Harry realized a second too late that the only other place Hermione could go was outside, where he was currently standing. He was too slow to move, however, before Hermione came barreling out, nearly crashing into him. She quickly regained her composure, not even bothering to look at Harry before walking off. Harry wanted to go after her but he was pretty sure his likelihood of getting hurt would be high if he did. Instead he walked into the tent where he found Ron sitting in his bunk, a lost look on his face. As Harry was sitting down, Ron got up, a determined look on his face.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Harry said, leaning back in his chair.

Ron stopped mid-stride and looked at Harry. "Mate, I appreciate you trying to help but I think you should let me and Hermione handle this."

"By handle do you mean her hexing you into the next millennium?" Harry asked.

"She says that but I don't think she would actually do it," Ron said, but his tone made it obvious that he wasn't completely sure about that himself.

"I definitely wouldn't put it past her at this point, Ron."

Ron sighed. He knew Harry was right. "Look, I understand why she's mad but shouldn't she at least give me the chance to explain?"

Harry stared at Ron, not really knowing how to answer that question. Instead he said, "But do you understand, Ron?"

"Of course I do."

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't think you do, Ron." The confused look on Ron's face made him continue. "You _abandoned _us, Ron. You've done it before, except this time it's much worse." Harry knew he was trying to show him things from Hermione's perspective, but he couldn't help but let his own emotions seep into what he was saying.

"I know that, Harry, and I'm sorry—"

"That isn't going to cut it, Ron. You can say that all you want but that isn't going to change anything." Harry knew he was starting to rant but he hadn't realized how much he needed to get this off his chest. "You're insecure about my relationship with Hermione but you leaving almost ruined that. The thing is I don't think you realize how important Hermione's friendship is to me."

Ron knew that something like this would eventually happen with Hermione but with Harry, he hadn't been absolutely sure. Deep down, he had hoped that it wouldn't happen but he also knew that if there was ever a time when he deserved it, it was now.

Harry continued at Ron's silence. "You were my first friend, Ron. The first person I knew that I could count on for anything. So imagine my surprise when I found out that that wasn't true." Harry wanted to stop before he said anything he couldn't take back but he knew that if he didn't say this now he would only be putting off what was sure to happen eventually. "You've always been so insecure about what I have; all the fame I have. But do you realize what you have, Ron? What you've had your whole life? You grew up knowing exactly what you were. You were loved and taken care of, not shunned and treated like the scum of the earth. You have a _family_, Ron. I may have money and fame but I don't want any of that. I would trade all of that in a second to have what you have. What I wouldn't give to have my parents back and just be a normal bloke with a normal life who worries about normal things. But I don't." Harry paused. Ron couldn't look him in the eye. "You shouldn't be jealous of what I have, Ron. You should be happy you're not me."

Ron didn't know what to say but he had a feeling that Harry wasn't done.

Harry sighed. There was so much he wanted to say to Ron; to make him understand. Finding the right words was proving difficult, though. "You and Hermione…you were the first people to show that you cared about me. I didn't know what that was before I met you two. It's strange to say that about 11 year olds but it's true. That meant the world to me, Ron." He paused. "What happened fourth year is understandable, I guess. We were fourteen and I couldn't explain who put my name in that cup. But that's the year where I finally saw the fault in our friendship…you didn't trust me."

Ron's head snapped up at this. He was about to interrupt but Harry quickly cut him off. "No, Ron, you didn't; only Hermione did. She's always been there for me, even when she didn't agree with me. That's why our friendship is what it is; I know that I can always count on her."

Harry felt like he was going off track from what he originally wanted to say. Going back to his original purpose, he continued. "When you left, Ron, you broke something between the three of us. We thought that we could depend on you through everything but you proved us wrong. That hurt both of us but it hit Hermione harder. Up until that point, you'd been showing her that you would always be there for her but then you weren't. I'd never seen Hermione so broken." Harry paused; seeing Hermione like that still haunted him. "You put her through hell, Ron. The first day, she thought every little noise could be you, looking for us. She tried to play off her disappointment but I saw it; I felt it, too. Eventually, she gave up on you. I can't tell you exactly what she's thinking but that's probably why she's acting like this towards you. She thought she knew who you were, that she could depend on you, but that didn't turn out to be true."

Harry looked at Ron. Shame and regret were the only things he saw on his face. Harry waited; he'd had his say. Now he would give the same opportunity to Ron.

Ron stayed silent for a moment before looking at Harry. "I don't know what to say, mate. I…I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness. I promised you that I would be there for you, through everything but I failed you. I failed Hermione, too. You don't know how much I hate myself for that. Trust me I will never forgive myself for that." He paused; Harry could see that he was trying to find the right words to say. After a couple of seconds, he continued. "I know that none of this will make a difference. It won't change what I did or make you trust me again. I know that. I just want you to know that I will never stop trying to gain your trust back. Even if you tell me right now that you won't ever trust me again, I won't stop trying."

"What about Hermione?" Harry asked, hoping he didn't sound nervous.

Ron sighed. "I don't know. I screwed that up pretty bad." Harry nodded. "Even if she listened to me, I wouldn't know what to say. Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"

Harry was wondering this himself. He honestly didn't know; he was kind of scared of finding out the answer to that. "I don't know, Ron."

Ron nodded. He walked over to his bunk and dropped down on it heavily. It seemed their conversation was over. Harry sat down again. Now all he could think about was Hermione and how she wasn't only mad at Ron but at him too. Granted, she would probably still talk to him but it wouldn't be like always. He had to talk to her. But what would he say? He was like Ron; even if she listened to him, he'd be clueless as to what to say to her. He didn't want to get in the way of whatever Ron and Hermione had but at this point, was there really anything there anymore? If there wasn't, what did that mean exactly? Harry grimaced, letting his head fall back. _Isn't my life tough enough as it is without having to deal with these stupid feelings? _

Harry was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Ron's voice pierce the silence.

"Thanks for letting me stay, Harry."

Harry didn't look up. "Well, you did save my life you know."

Ron snorted lightly. "And how many times have you already done that for me?"

Harry laughed. "Not that many, I reckon."

"Still more than me mate."

"You know I can still throw you out right?" Harry joked.

"Alright, alright, I'll be quiet." He stayed silent for a moment before adding, "Seriously, though. Thanks."

After a silent moment of his own, Harry said, "You're welcome."

Harry didn't know if he would ever forgive Ron for leaving them. He had a feeling it would be something that would always go unresolved and remain in the darker side of their friendship but for now, he was happy that they'd at least talked about it. Maybe things would never be like they used to between him and Ron but at least now they could try and move on. Harry sighed. Now all he had to do was fix things with Hermione.

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><p>And there it is. I will try and get the next chapter to you guys ASAP. Thanks for reading :)<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Alright, so here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait but as the dreaded but much anticipated day comes, I can't do much but think about the end. I did want to get an update in before Deathly Hallows Part 2 because who knows how emotionally stable I'll be after Part 2 comes out lol. Well anyway, I hope you guys like this.

Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish these characters were mine. Being a billionaire wouldn't suck at all.

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Hermione was furious; first Harry and then Ron.

Being angry at Ron had been expected but Harry? No, she hadn't been expecting that. But then again, what had she been expecting? Talking to him alone had been naïve at best. She knew that he would most likely not say anything that she wanted him to say but, as always, she had hoped that this time it would be different. Unfortunately, that's not what happened at all. Sure he had said some things she had hoped he would say but the setting was all wrong.

Since Ron's return, Harry had been acting differently, an observation that didn't really surprise her. What she hadn't expected what his change in behavior towards her. Before Ron came back, they spent most of their time together; even if they weren't together, they were always around each other, each aware of the other's presence. Now, however, Harry kept his distance from her. It wasn't blatantly obvious but she noticed it and she didn't like it. The reason was obvious but she found it completely ridiculous. It wasn't like anything had ever actually happened between them. If he felt guilty before, she knew that he felt even guiltier now after seeing Ron's biggest insecurities and under different circumstances, she would too but she found it very hard to feel bad in any way towards Ron at this particular moment. That wasn't what hurt and angered her most with Harry, though.

"_Maybe we should just forget it happened."_

Why would she want to forget one of the happiest, albeit nerve-wracking, moments of her life? _It's funny how you're conveniently ignoring the second part of his statement,_ her mind taunted. Hermione scowled. The fact that he had said it at all is what angered her.

Hermione growled in frustration. _Isn't my current situation stressful enough without these stupid feelings? _ Ron she could deal with but Harry was going to be something else. _Just like always huh?_

"Oh, shut it," she snapped.

"You know people might think you're crazy if they heard you talking to yourself."

She froze. Without turning around, she said, "Leave me alone, Harry. I don't want to talk to you right now."

Harry sighed. "I know Hermione, but I think maybe we should." He paused. "Now's not the time to be fighting."

"Oh, so now you want to talk," Hermione said, turning to face him. "Okay then, let's talk. You can go first."

Harry was getting really tired of planning what he was going to say only to be left speechless when the time came to actually say something; Hermione's look of impatience didn't help much either.

"Um, okay…I—" Harry started but couldn't find the words to go on. Frustrated, he just stopped thinking and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Hermione, I'm sorry okay? What the locket showed Ron—" Harry quickly stopped; he couldn't go there. It was too late, however. Looking at Hermione, he knew she caught what he said and, knowing her, she wasn't going to let it go.

Hermione was not one to waste opportunities so before Harry could say something else, she asked, "What did the locket show Ron?"

Harry winced internally._ Oh well that's just brilliant, Potter. You and your bloody mouth have done it again. _"I don't think I should tell you. It's uh…it's kind of sensitive information, you see."

Eyebrow arched, she asked, "Really? Sensitive information?" Harry nodded dumbly. "Well, apparently this sensitive information has to do with me doesn't it? Or else you wouldn't have been acting differently towards me, right?"

Harry thought quickly. He didn't want to be the one to tell her this although he was sure Ron didn't have any intentions on telling her about it himself.

"I just don't think I should be the one to tell you."

Hermione sighed. Harry was loyal to a fault and she knew getting it out of him was not going to be easy. On any other occasion, his loyalty would have been endearing but now it was just irritating her. _But what if it was you? Would you want him to tell Ron your biggest insecurities behind your back? Why don't _you_ just tell _him_ that you saw what happened?_

Hermione scowled. Damn her stupid, logical mind.

"It's fine, Harry. You don't have to tell me." Harry's immense look of relief almost made her laugh. It almost stopped her from saying her next words. Almost. "You don't have to tell me because I saw what the locket showed Ron. I saw everything."

Shock immediately replaced relief as Harry said, "What?"

"I saw it, Harry; you and me, or rather, the locket's versions of us. We—they kissed."

Harry couldn't believe it. "Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Oh, come off it Harry, you know that Ron would've been extremely embarrassed if he knew that I saw." She paused. "I may not like him much at the moment but I'm not evil."

Harry stared at her in wonder. "Why are you so good to us?"

"Trust me, I wonder that myself sometimes," she said, hoping he didn't see her blush.

Silence filled the air as they stared at each other, both of them knowing perfectly well what the other was thinking about.

_Remember what you came for,_ said his mind, snapping Harry out of his reverie_._

"Hermione, I'm sorry."

Hermione quickly focused on him again but remained quiet, an expectant look crossing her features.

Harry stayed silent for a moment before continuing. "I don't want you to forget that moment at all. I did it to make you happy, to make me happy. To try and give us a moment where we could just be us and forget about everything else." Looking at her, he knew that she was waiting for him to bring up what almost happened between them. A big part of him just wanted to leave that alone and not mess with it but he knew that Hermione wouldn't let him. He didn't want to say the wrong thing though, so he stayed quiet.

Silence overtook them both again; neither wanted to bring up the inevitable.

_Oh for Merlin's sake, say something! _Hermione's mind screamed. _Get it over with; you're only delaying the unavoidable. _Hermione sighed and looked at Harry. He looked just as lost as she felt.

"You almost kissed me, Harry."

She said it so softly that Harry almost missed it. In the same tone he said, "I know, Hermione."

"Why?" she asked, almost like a child.

Hermione asking him for the answer? In any other situation, Harry would have laughed at the irony.

"I—I don't know, Hermione."

"You don't know." Disappointment quickly flickered in Hermione's eyes before disappearing but Harry heard it in her voice.

"Hermione, I— it's just that—" Harry stammered before stopping. _ Just take a deep breath, Potter, you can do this. _Taking a deep breath, he started again."Hermione, these past few weeks—months, actually—have been tough. No one will ever understand that but you. Almost losing you again was—was painful and waiting for you to wake up, not knowing if you ever would, was worse. Seeing you laying there, I couldn't help but think of all of the times we've spent together. It made me realize things that I was too daft to appreciate until now."

Hermione's heart sped up as she looked at him. "What kind of things?"

The disappointment was gone from her voice, giving Harry the courage to continue. "That you've always been there for me—always—and how I wasn't. I've left you alone so many times, choosing Ron over you but you never did that to me." He paused. "How I would have been dead a hundred times over if it wasn't for you."

Hermione started to interrupt but Harry quickly cut her off. "No, Hermione, you can't deny it. Without you…I don't know where I'd be. I feel like such a bloody idiot for not realizing before now how important you are to me. How much you've done for me. I mean… you gave up your parents, Hermione. _Your parents. _All to help me and to protect them, of course, but if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have needed to do that in the first place." He looked away as shame filled him. "I mean, what kind of a friend am I if it took almost losing you to fully realize that?"

Hermione was once again filled with pride at knowing that she was part of a select few, maybe the only one that got to see Harry like this. "You're an amazing friend, Harry."

Knowing he was going to protest, she quickly continued. "Sure, you can be a bit dense sometimes, but that doesn't mean you aren't a good friend." His eyes were glued to hers as she started walking towards him. "Harry, you would do anything for your friends; for those you love. How many times have you tried to keep me and Ron away just to protect us? How many crazy things have you done in order to keep us safe?" She paused, stopping right in front of him. "If I remember correctly, an eleven year old boy once jumped on a full grown troll just to save a silly, twelve year old girl." She smiled at the memory. "I know without a doubt in my heart, that if the roles were reversed, you would do everything and more for me."

Harry stayed silent for a moment before nodding, still looking somewhat doubtful. They continued to stare at each other; both knew what was coming next.

"Harry, I—"

"Hermione—"

Light chuckles filled the silence as they looked at each other, small smiles on their faces. Hermione nodded at Harry, whose face took on a serious expression, replacing the smile that had been playing there seconds before.

"Hermione, that moment we shared was one of the happiest in my life. I'm bloody clueless when it comes to dancing and I'm pretty sure I always will be but seeing you smile and laugh more than made up for my lack of dancing skills." Hermione smiled. He swallowed, looking away. "What almost happened after, though…I—I don't really know how to explain that. You were just—you were _so close. _I just—I don't know, _reacted_, I guess. I wasn't thinking." He looked at her again. "I—I don't know what more to say. I'm s—I'm sorry, Hermione."

She looked at him, an unreadable expression on her face. "Sorry for what, Harry?"

"For complicating things. I mean, Merlin knows that we don't need any more complications at this point." Not being able to read her expression was unnerving. "Even without our current situation, there's still other things—other people to think about."

"Ron and Ginny, you mean," Hermione said, as she continued to stare at Harry.

Harry nodded weakly. "Well, yeah."

To be honest, Harry hadn't thought much about his ex-girlfriend, something that further confused him. Not long ago, he had thought about her constantly but then Ron left. That had changed everything.

Hermione finally looked away. Harry didn't know which was worse: having her intense gaze on him or having her look anywhere but him.

"Hermione," Harry said, the pleading evident in his voice.

She couldn't look at him. She didn't know what to feel. A part of her just wanted to end it; to make things go back to the way they were. Everything would be so much easier that way. The other part wasn't content with that, however. She never thought that anything like this would ever happen between them and she was reluctant to just let it pass her by.

Harry's voice cut through the silence. "Hermione, please. Say something."

She looked at him after a moment of hesitation. Her face remained impassive, but Harry could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes. He looked at her, the pleading still evident in his eyes.

"I don't know what to say, Harry," she said slowly. "I—that dance was…it was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. I was so _happy._ I hadn't felt that way in such a long time that it almost felt strange feeling it again. I felt so free, not having to think about anything else except you and me. When we stopped dancing, I—you—you had this look in your eyes that I'd never seen before. It made me so—so nervous; more nervous than I've ever felt around you. And then—you just—you were—I knew what you were going to do and I—"

"You pulled away," Harry whispered. Intensity filled his eyes as he looked at her. "Why?"

She glared at him. "You know why, Harry. It's the same reason you pulled away, too."

_Ron._

Harry sighed. It felt like they were going in circles, not really resolving anything. Hermione was glad they were at least talking about it but, like Harry, she didn't feel like they were getting anywhere near a solution.

_A solution? A solution to what? _Her mind asked._ What do you want, Hermione? Figure that out and you'll be on your way. Although, I'm pretty sure you already know what you want._

Hermione had always prided herself on being extremely logical but there were times where she just wanted her logic to shut up.

Deciding to put an end to things, Hermione took a deep breath and asked, "What does this mean for us, Harry?"

Alarm flashed across Harry's face quickly before disappearing.

"I—"

"And please, for Merlin's sake, don't say you don't know."

Harry glared at her for a second before sighing. "I can't." He looked at her, a sorry look on his face. "Hermione, I don't know what to tell you. I never really thought that anything like this would ever happen between us. I mean, there was Ron and I just always thought that you fancied him. Then this whole thing with Ginny happened. But now that something has happened…all of these feelings are just so new and confusing and I just- I don't know what to do about them."

Hermione looked at him, only daring to hope.

"What are those feelings exactly?" she said softly, trying to hide her nervousness but failing.

_What is that? _Harry thought, looking into her eyes. _Is that—is that hope? Does that mean…? _

Harry couldn't take it anymore. He needed to tell her before it was too late. He'd never felt so nervous in his life.

Hermione could see that Harry had made up his mind about something. Was he finally going to say what she'd been waiting to hear for days? _Oh, who are you kidding? Don't you mean months? Years, maybe? _

"Hermione, I l—"

"Oy! There you guys are!" Ron walked up to them, completely missing the glares coming from his best friends. "I was starting to worry."

Harry sighed. _Too late._

* * *

><p>I know, I know. Pretty mean of me to end like that, huh? Sorry, but I just don't want to rush a relationship between Harry and Hermione. There's so much to deal with and I feel like they deserve something better than a rushed relationship. I hope you guys continue to bear with me. I already have ideas for future chapters and I will try to get those to you as soon as possible. Although, I'm sure that all of us are going to be busy these next couple of days watching and rewatching Deathly Hallows Part 2 so that's something right? There's going to be lots of emotions, mainly sadness, on my end so hopefully those emotions inspire me to write. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy Part 2 to the fullest and don't get too sad, yeah? Oh, who am I kidding? I'm going to be devastated and misery loves company doesn't it? But anyway, wherever you may be, let's all enjoy this momentous moment to the fullest, emotions and all.<p>

Thanks for reading :)


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys! So here's chapter 10. Hope you guys like it. I also hope that you guys are recovering from the epicness that was Deathly Hallows Part. 2. I know I am, slowly but surely. Very, very slowly. It still hits me randomly that there isn't any new Harry Potter to look forward to and then I get really sad. Oh well, at least we have Pottermore and fanfiction right?

Alright, enough about that. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: This only belongs to me in the best of dreams. In real life, it belongs to the great J.K. Rowling.

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

"_Crucio."_

_A loud, piercing scream echoed throughout the dungeon._

_Voldemort stepped out of the shadows, looking pitifully at the figure on the floor. _

"_I must say, you disappoint me, Ollivander," he said softly as the screams died down._

_Ollivander remained on the floor, his body twitching every now and then. He remained silent as Voldemort paced around him._

"_Your reputation precedes you and yet, you have done nothing but fail me." He paused and pushed Ollivander on his back with his foot. "What you told me last proved false. Harry Potter still managed to evade me yet again." His voice remained soft but the underlying anger was not lost on Ollivander._

_Ollivander flinched as Voldemort raised his wand but was relieved to find that pain didn't immediately overtake his body. Instead, Voldemort levitated him until he was floating right in front of him, giving him no choice but to look Voldemort in the eyes._

"_Now, why don't you tell me something I can actually use before I lose what little patience I have left," he said coldly._

_Ollivander's face was racked with fear. His eyes were glued to Voldemort's no matter how much he tried to look away. Even in his weakened state, he could feel the harsh intrusion on his mind._

"_Ah, but what's this? The Deathly Hallows?" said Voldemort after a moment, a curious lilt to his voice._

_Ollivander nodded quickly, not wanting to anger him further. His voice cracked as he said, "It is rumored there are three."_

_Voldemort was controlling his features but it was obvious from his tone of voice that he was interested. "I was under the impression that it was just a children's story."_

"_Yes, there—there are people who would like it t-to remain that way."_

_A contemplative look settled on Voldemort's face. "Continue."_

"_The Elder wand is said to be the most powerful wand in existence, crafted by Death itself with wood from an elder tree. Countless bloodshed has been spilt for it. All three have long since been lost but there have been rumors of the wand's whereabouts," Ollivander said weakly._

_Voldemort could do nothing to hide his intense curiosity. "And what is the latest rumor?"_

_Ollivander stayed silent for a moment before saying, "It is rumored that the last known person to possess the wand was Grindelwald." _

_Voldemort's eyes gleamed as silence overtook the room. He dropped Ollivander, who fell with a small groan of pain upon impact._

_Voldemort walked away and, with his back to Ollivander, said, "Let us hope for your sake that you do not disappoint me again. If you do…"_

_Screams immediately filled the silence, overtaking the room as they echoed around the dungeon, the crack of disapparation barely audible over the cries of pain. _

Harry's eyes snapped open. He remained still for a couple of seconds before wiping the sweat from his forehead. He was still mulling over the dream, remembering the screams, when Hermione walked in. He quickly tried to calm himself but before he could do anything, she looked over at him, concern immediately taking over her features.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked, quickly walking over to him.

"N—nothing, it's just—" he immediately stopped at the look on Hermione's face. It was clear she wouldn't believe anything he said unless it was the truth. He sighed and looked at her.

"It was another dream wasn't it?" she asked.

Looking away, he nodded.

"Hey, what's going on?" said Ron as he walked into the tent.

Harry frowned. A couple of days had passed since his talk with Hermione (a talk that had been rudely interrupted by the redhead) and while things weren't as tense as before between Ron and Hermione, it was clear that Hermione was still mad at him; it seemed like it would be that way for a while, a fact that Ron had fully accepted. He spent his days in the tent much as he did before but he was much more helpful. What confused him was that Hermione had just been outside and apparently so had Ron; she didn't spend time alone with Ron if she could avoid it.

Hermione's voice broke through his thought process. "He was looking around the area; I was at the entrance," she said softly so only he could hear.

Harry nodded. He hated to admit that this made him somewhat happy. He looked at Ron again, who was staring at them with a confused look on his face.

"Bad dream," said Harry.

"Blimey, they're still happening?"

"Apparently, yes," answered Hermione. "Harry you're supposed to try and protect your mind. What if You-Know-Who finds out where we are?"

"I know, Hermione, I know. But despite what you may think, I haven't been having them as often as I used to. Now all that happens is that I get glimpses of what he's doing, not the other way around." He paused as he sat up. "It's almost as if he can't tell that I'm watching."

Hermione still looked worried but let the topic drop, much to Harry's relief.

"So what did you see, mate?" Ron asked, kneeling beside his cot.

Without hesitating, Harry said, "He has Ollivander."

"What? Why?"

"Bloody hell."

"He's looking for a wand," said Harry.

"A wand? Why would he want a wand?" Hermione asked, her face taking on a look of great concentration. Harry could see that she would soon figure out why.

He was right. A couple of seconds later realization dawned on her face as she looked at Harry. "The twin wand cores."

Harry nodded. "I think he's already tried something before but it didn't work because he told Ollivander that he had already failed him once." He looked at both of them. "I think it must have been when we were ambushed but it didn't work; my wand still reacted like before."

They remained silent until Ron asked, "So now what is he going to do?"

"Ollivander told him about something called the Deathly Hallows," Harry said, looking confused.

Hermione and Ron both had a look of familiarity on their faces. Hermione got up and headed over to the book covered table.

Harry and Ron were both watching her as Ron said, "The Deathly Hallows? Why would Ollivander tell You Know Who about that? It's just a children's story."

"You know what it is?"

"Yeah, mum used to read it to us."

"Hermione?" Harry asked.

"The story is in the book that Dumbledore left me in his will," she said as she walked back to them.

"Ollivander said there's three."

Ron and Hermione nodded. "One for each brother," Ron said.

"There's the resurrection stone, the Elder wand, and—" she paused and looked at Harry.

"And what?" Harry asked.

"The cloak of invisibility," she answered.

Harry stared. After a moment of silence he said, "So it's true then?"

Both of them looked at Hermione. "I wouldn't have thought so originally but hearing this…well, now it makes sense why Dumbledore left this book for me."

Harry still looked confused so Hermione continued, "In the story, three brothers were supposed to have died trying to cross a river but since they were wizards, they didn't, something that angered Death."

"Yeah, so to 'reward' the brothers, Death gave them all one wish," continued Ron. "The oldest brother asked for the most powerful wand, so Death made one from an elder tree and gave it to him; the next brother asked for a way to bring back the dead to humiliate Death further, so Death gave him the resurrection stone."

Seeing Harry's look of interest, Hermione quickly continued. "The youngest brother, the smartest and humblest of the three, asked for a way to leave without being followed by Death, so Death gave him a piece of its own cloak. The cloak allowed him to leave undetected," finished Hermione.

"So You Know Who wants the most powerful wand in existence," said Harry. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Hermione nodded. "He must think that will override whatever connection he has with your wand. Which is most likely true; it is the most powerful wand after all."

"But he won't be able to find it right?" Ron asked. "I mean, all three are supposed to be rumors; I doubt anyone actually knows where they are."

Harry shook his head. "Ollivander told him that the last rumored person to have it was Grindelwald."

"Grindelwald?" Hermione asked.

Silence and worry settled over all three of them. Voldemort with the most powerful wand in existence? That didn't sound good to any of them.

Ron broke the silence. "Well, maybe it'll turn out to be just that; a rumor. Maybe You Know Who won't find it."

Harry wished he could be hopeful like Ron but found it hard. Looking at Hermione, he knew she felt the same.

He sighed. "Yeah, maybe."

He looked at both of them before saying, "Alright, well I'll go take watch now. You guys should rest."

Ron nodded before climbing into his bunk. Hermione continued to stare at Harry until he left the tent. She got up and headed over to the rest of her books, intent on doing more research on the Deathly Hallows. It wasn't long before Ron's snores filled the tent.

###

As Harry sat outside, only one thing occupied his mind: the resurrection stone. Out of all of the Hallows, he knew that if he ever had a choice, he would choose the stone. The yearning he felt for this magical object was immense. The possibility of being able to bring back his parents, Sirius, Dumbledore…he would give anything to have that possibility.

He wrapped his arms around himself as a cold gust of wind hit him. They were no longer in the Forest of Dean; Harry actually had no idea where they were, somewhere in Scotland he assumed. They had left shortly after Ron's return and while it wasn't snowing here, it was still pretty cold.

He was still thinking about the stone when he heard someone come out of the tent.

_Hermione._

Hermione hadn't found anything on the Deathly Hallows in her textbooks, something that didn't really surprise her. Not many people put much thought on objects from a children's story. She had seen the look on Harry's face when Ron had mentioned the stone though and she knew exactly why that particular Hallow would interest him. Looking at him now, she knew that he was still thinking about.

She walked over to him and asked, "Mind if I sit down?"

Harry shook his head. Even though she hadn't sat too close to him, he could still feel the warmth radiating from her body.

Hermione stayed silent for a moment before softly saying, "It wouldn't work, Harry."

He looked at her in surprise. It never ceased to amaze him how she was always able to read his mind so easily. The surprise didn't last long, however. He remained silent as frustration took its place.

"The second brother brought back an old sweetheart that died before they were able to be together. He was happy for a while and so was she but that didn't last long." She paused, never looking away from Harry. "She didn't belong in the land of the living anymore. She was depressed all the time and this drove the brother mad with grief. He killed himself because of it."

At his continued silence, she added, "There's no way to bring back the dead, Harry."

Harry sighed. "Would it be so bad to be able to see them once, just once?"

Hermione's heart ached. Not for the first time, she wished that none of this had ever happened to him. That he had grown up with loving parents and a normal childhood.

She hated herself for saying this but he needed to hear it. "But where would it end, Harry? One time would never be enough."

Harry sighed. _Why is it that she's _always_ right?_

Hermione could see the frustration and sadness in his eyes. Her heart ached even more; she was sure it was going to break soon.

"Harry, you don't know how much I wish I could tell you what you wanted to hear; to give you something to be happy about," she said softly. "More than anything, I wish that none of this had ever happened to you."

Harry couldn't help but smile. "Do you think we would've met, though?"

A warm, soft hand touched his left, gently coaxing it out of its tense state. Harry didn't resist as his fingers intertwined with Hermione's. Despite the awkwardness that had settled over them after their talk, Harry could only relish in the comfort that Hermione was always able to provide him.

"Yes," she said, smiling when he looked at her. "I think we were meant to meet, Harry. It was fate."

"Fate? Since when have you believed in anything other than logic and cold, hard facts?"

"Since I met you," she said, almost whispering.

_Since she met me? Why?_

"Don't do that. Don't question what I'm telling you." She turned her body to his, still holding his hand. "When are you going to get in through your head that you're a great person? You're brave, smart, caring…you would do anything for the people you care about." She paused. "You're amazing, Harry."

Warmth spread through him as he looked at her. "How do you do that?"

She blinked in surprise. "Do what?"

"How do you always know what I'm thinking?" he asked.

Looking down, she said, "I don't know…I think I've just always had this connection with you." She paused and looked at him. "I've never been able to read anybody like I can with you."

Swallowing, he looked away. He didn't know what he would do if he continued to look at her; her gaze was too intense.

Looking down, Hermione whispered, "It isn't completely one sided, though, you know."

Harry nodded. It was true; just as Hermione with him, he couldn't read anybody as well as he could her.

Silence overtook them again. It was hard to tell whether it was an awkward or comfortable one, though. Having Hermione around was always comforting but there was no denying the awkwardness that now lingered over them whenever they were alone. There was so much he wanted to tell her; so much he wanted to ask her but now, more than ever, he was confused. He now knew that he liked Hermione and not just in a friendly way.

_Like? Do you think that's the right word? I'm pretty sure it's a little more than just like. _

Thoughts like these only helped to confuse him further. Yes, he had strong feelings for Hermione but now what? He had almost told her a couple of days ago but now, he wasn't so sure. For one thing, there was Ron. Sure, Hermione hated him now but that didn't mean she didn't have feelings for him anymore. Then there was Ginny, but to Harry that seemed like less of a problem than Ron. Deep down, Harry had a feeling that Hermione felt something for him too. That look in her eyes from before was still ingrained in his mind; it was almost like she had wanted him to say that he has feelings for her.

_She would be an even bigger target if something happened between us. _

This was the one thought that brought the most problems for Harry. He hated putting Hermione in any danger at all and something like this would put her in incredible amounts of danger.

_Bloody hell, how many times does she have to tell you that she's with you no matter what? Didn't she prove that when Ron left? She stayed with _you. _You know she could have left but she didn't. _

Harry scowled. _I _can't_ put her in any more danger than she already is. Being one of my best friends already has her high on the hit list; her being anything more than that would put her only second after me. I _can't_ lose her. I don't know what I would do without her._

"What are you thinking about, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, although she was sure that his thoughts probably mirrored the ones she was having.

Harry stayed silent for a moment before saying, "I was thinking about how…how I don't know what I would do without you." He was sure she would've have preferred his main thought but, technically, he wasn't lying.

"You have to stop thinking about that, Harry."

He turned to look at her. "But I can't, Hermione. No matter how hard I try, I _can't._"

The look on his face almost sent her over the edge. "Harry…"

"Hermione, you're one of the only people I have left. I can't lose you. Just thinking about losing anyone…Ron, the Weasleys, Lupin or Tonks, Luna, Neville…I just…I can't. But losing you…the thought just makes me want to lock you up somewhere so that you stay safe. I would gladly put up with your fury if I knew you'd be safe." He paused when he realized that he had taken both of her hands in his. Brushing the thought aside, he continued, "I almost lost it when that curse hit you fifth year. I froze, Hermione. If it wasn't for Neville…I don't know what I would've done. And then when you didn't wake up when we got back from Godric's Hollow…it was worse. I was alone and I felt so useless and daft not being able to help you." He looked away, the memory making him feel ashamed for his lack of knowledge.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She wanted to reassure him that she would be fine; that everything would turn out for the better but in all honesty, she didn't know herself. Even if she told him that, she knew he wouldn't feel much reassurance.

"Harry…don't you think I feel the same? I've almost lost you countless times and let me tell you, it doesn't get any easier with experience. Sometimes, _I _want to lock _you _up somewhere far, far away. Or maybe stuff you in my bag and just run away to some tropical island or something. The fear is overwhelming sometimes but we have to get through this. We _can_ get through this." She smiled weakly when he looked at her again. "We have to be strong for each other, Harry. We have to keep believing that good can conquer evil; that right will triumph over wrong. We can't lose that hope, Harry."

Looking at her now, there was nothing he wanted to do more than kiss her. _Well, what are you waiting for? Kiss her! You know you want to! _ Unfortunately for Harry, the other part of his brain, the one that always sounded like Hermione, spoke up. _This is isn't the right time. There are too many things going on to focus on something like this. Even if there wasn't, there are still so many things you two need to talk about. _

Harry sighed. _A hug will have to do then. _He leaned forward and hugged her, trying hard not to dwell on the look of hope that flashed across Hermione's face when he did.

"Thanks, Hermione. You always know what to say," Harry whispered.

Hermione pushed aside the rush of disappointment coursing through her and instead focused on the feeling of Harry in her arms. It wasn't a kiss but it was still something she relished, especially now when Harry was the one initiating them.

"You don't have to thank me, Harry," she whispered back. "That's what friends are for right?"

Harry sat back and smiled weakly at her. "Right."

Harry looked out at their surroundings, preparing himself for the long night ahead. He didn't protest when Hermione made herself more comfortable, moving closer to him in the process. It was clear that she wasn't going anywhere and Harry found that he didn't mind in the least.

As they sat in comfortable silence, neither of them failed to notice that they were holding hands again.

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><p>Alright, so there it is. I hope you guys liked it. Reviews are always welcome :)<p>

Thanks for reading :)


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, so this is probably the longest chapter I've written and definitely the one I had to think about the most. I hope my hard work pays off and that you guys like it :)

Disclaimer: Only in the most awesome of dreams do I own this. In real life, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

"Okay, that's it. What's the matter with you two?"

Harry froze; he felt Hermione's whole body tense next to him.

He slowly turned around and faced Ron while Hermione continued to pack as if she hadn't heard anything.

"What do you mean, Ron?" asked Harry, trying to act as innocent as possible.

"Well, you guys have been acting weird lately," answered Ron. "Awkward, even."

Harry looked at Hermione, who was still packing things away for their imminent departure. He looked back at Ron, still not knowing what to say.

"I'm sure you're just imagining things, Ronald," Hermione said, still not turning to face him.

"Oh, so she does talk! I was beginning to wonder," exclaimed Ron.

Hermione quickly stood up and glared at him.

"Alright, calm down both of you," interrupted Harry. "Ron, there isn't anything going on between us." Harry felt wrong saying that but technically, he wasn't lying; he didn't look at Hermione, though.

Ron looked at both of them. "Look, I may be slow but I'm not blind. You two have been acting weird around each other for a while now."

"Are you really going to do this again?" Hermione asked. Harry could see that she was getting angrier by the second.

"Do what? All I'm doing is asking a question. I didn't know it was a bad thing to worry about my friends," retorted Ron.

"Oh, well that's rich coming from you," Hermione snapped.

"Oh, here we go. Look I know I left but that doesn't mean that I wasn't worried about you two the whole time," Ron said, his voice rising.

Hermione was about to respond when she felt a hand on her arm. Her whole body relaxed instantly as she looked at Harry.

"This isn't the time for fighting, guys." Harry looked at both of them. "We've spent too much time here and we need to leave as quickly as possible. So let's get back to it. We can talk about whatever we need to talk about once we've moved. Alright?"

Hermione glared at Ron before nodding. Ron nodded grudgingly.

It took them less than 30 minutes to get everything in order. As soon as they were finished, Harry took both of his friends hands and apparated them to their new location.

A bad feeling settled in Harry's stomach the moment they arrived. It didn't take long to find out why.

Snatchers.

Harry only had a moment to berate himself for taking them back to an old location before Hermione was pulling on his arm. As Harry ran, he could feel Ron and Hermione right next to him, keeping pace with his steps. He didn't think he'd ever run this fast in his life.

Hard, fast footsteps followed not far behind, as spells burst all around them hitting the ground and the trees, narrowly missing them.

Ron veered off toward his left, barely missing a clump of trees. Three snatchers separated from the main group, chasing after him.

Hermione was slightly ahead of him to his right, moving farther and farther away from him by the step. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her quickly turn and cast a spell at the snatchers. Some of the snatchers stopped cold as a black cloud of debris burst right in front of them.

Harry couldn't see Ron anymore as he continued running. He could feel a snatcher getting closer and closer to him as he ran under tree trunks and roots. A spell burst right behind him before he felt a body collide with his. Harry didn't waste time and quickly got up, leaving the snatcher behind.

Harry's lungs were screaming but his mind was screaming louder, his emotions overriding any physical problems. He could see Hermione in front of him and as he got closer, she stopped and turned to face him. A flurry of emotions crossed her face before she raised her wand at him. Before he could say anything, a sharp pain exploded in his face as he fell backwards.

He barely felt the pain of the spell as his mind travelled thousands of miles away. He could see an old man sitting in a dingy cell, mirth filling his eyes as he looked at his visitor.

"_You're too late," cackled the old man._

"_Who?" hissed a voice._

_The old man paused for a second before saying, "Dumbledore."_

_The word had barely escaped the man's mouth before Voldemort disappeared._

Harry's eyes refocused as Hermione dropped to her knees beside him on the ground. Worry clouded her features as she grabbed his glasses from his face and stuffed them in her pocket.

"Hermione, he knows. He knows where it is. It won't be long before he's got it," Harry choked out.

Hermione looked at him as full blown worry and fear swelled inside her, threatening to spill over.

She didn't have a chance to say anything, however, before the rest of the snatchers caught up to them, hauling a struggling Ron with them. Two snatchers walked up to them and roughly pulled them to their feet, taking their wands away in the process.

"Well, well aren't you lovely," said one of the snatchers to Hermione. It was clear that he was the leader. He got closer to her and brushed her cheek. Hermione flinched.

Harry and Ron both glared at the man.

"Don't touch her!" growled Ron.

The snatcher continued to look at Hermione, ignoring Ron. "And what is your name, beautiful?"

Hermione stuttered for a second before saying, "Penelope Clearwater."

Without looking away from her, the snatcher said, "Look it up."

One of the snatchers pulled out a book and quickly looked through it. "It's not in 'ere."

The leader tilted his head curiously as he continued to look at Hermione. Harry's stomach coiled in disgust at the man's look. If only he had his wand…

"What are you hiding, darling?"

Hermione glared defiantly in response. The snatcher smiled before turning away from her. He quickly glanced over at Ron but ignored him, walking over to Harry instead.

"And who might you be, ugly?" he sneered.

"Vernon," Harry said without thinking. "Vernon Dudley."

"That's not in 'ere, either."

The main snatcher chuckled. "Now, what are you three hiding?" He looked at Hermione, then Ron and finally, at Harry. "Why the—"

The snatcher's eyes were trained on Harry's forehead. As he continued to stare, his eyes grew in wonder. Harry felt his stomach drop.

"Change of plans, boys," whispered the snatcher. "We're going to take a special trip for these three."

####

Harry couldn't believe how quickly the day had spiraled out of control. One moment, Ron and Hermione were arguing like they always did and the next, they were being dragged into a dark mansion by a group of snatchers. Based on his experience, Harry knew it was only going to get worse.

He was right.

The snatchers led them into the mansion, up extravagant stairwells, until they reached a huge room. Harry didn't know what the room was used for but it was elegant nonetheless. A large fireplace dominated the right wall while large windows covered most of the left, with portraits here and there. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling but other than that, the room was pretty bare. Harry took all of this in before his eyes settled on the occupants of the room, dread filling up his whole being at the sight of them.

_This must be the Malfoy Manor._

Bellatrix Lestrange stood in the middle of the room, a look of impatience on her face. The Malfoys were standing to the side, near the fireplaces. They all had a weary look about them, as if they were tired of this whole ordeal and would like nothing more than to be done with it all. Harry noticed a look of recognition flash across Draco Malfoy's face at the sight of them before it quickly disappeared.

A cold voice broke the silence. "Are any of you going to explain what you are doing here or am I going to have to force it out?"

The leader of the snatchers quickly started talking. "Yes, of course, Madame Lestrange. We apprehended these three today," he paused as he motioned to them with his hand, "but I think you might have a particular interest in this one."

The snatcher holding Harry shoved him forward, bringing him to his knees in front of her.

Bellatrix peered closely at Harry. "What's wrong with his face?"

"Don't know, mam, that's how we found him."

Harry's stomach was in knots as she continued to look at him. It didn't take long for her eyes to settle on his forehead.

Her eyes went wide as she whispered, "Draco."

Draco walked slowly towards them, failing to wipe the scared look from his face.

Bellatrix looked at Draco with hopeful eyes. "Is it him, Draco? Look at him closely."

Draco crouched down, leveling his face with Harry's. Clashing emotions were raging inside Harry. He was afraid of what Draco might say. A part of him feared that Draco would turn them in but the other part could only dare to hope that Draco would prove to be less evil than he portrayed himself to be.

After a couple moments of silence, Lucius spoke up. "Well, is it him? You have to be absolutely sure, Draco. We cannot disturb the Dark Lord for anybody other than Harry Potter."

Draco continued to stare at Harry, doubt clouding his eyes. "I—I'm not sure."

Harry could only feel a little better at this. They might not find out who he really was but that didn't mean they were out of danger yet.

Bellatrix leaned down, draping an arm around Draco's shoulder. Harry didn't think he'd ever seen her act so nice towards someone; he often forgot that Draco was her nephew. "Look closely, Draco. If it is him and we deliver him to the Dark Lord, he will reward us like no other." She almost sounded giddy at the prospect.

Draco remained silent for a moment before he said, "I don't think it's him."

"Are you—"

"You heard him, Bella. He doesn't think it's the boy," interrupted Narcissa.

Bellatrix glared at her sister for a moment before standing. "Fine, do what you want with them," she said, looking towards the snatchers. "We've no use for—"

She stopped cold, alarm crossing her features as she looked at something a snatcher was holding.

"Where did you get that?" she said, nearly shrieking.

The snatcher looked dumbly down at the sword in his hand. "I found it, miss." He chuckled. "Finders, keepers, I reckon."

A crazy look settled on Bellatrix's face as she pulled out her wand. She didn't waste a moment; the next second, the snatcher was on the ground, desperately pulling at the chains on his neck.

"Oi! What are you—" Before the lead snatcher could finish, he was on the ground near the back of the room. He slowly got up, dizzy from the impact.

"Leave! All of you! Leave! Leave!"screamed Bellatrix, her wand raised at all of the snatchers. None of them wasted any time and in seconds, they were gone. Draco quickly bent down and picked up the wands one of the snatchers had dropped.

The crazy look only intensified as she looked at the captives. "Who's going to tell me where you got this sword?"

All three remained silent. Bellatrix eyed all of them before stopping on Hermione. Recognition finally dawned on her face.

"I remember you. You're the mudblood," she spat.

Hermione tried to keep a brave face but knew she was failing. Fear was consuming her.

A smile slowly blossomed on Bellatrix's face but the crazy look never left her eyes. Fear like he never felt before exploded inside Harry.

"Wormtail!"

He quickly appeared, looking as filthy and scared as ever.

"Y-you called?"

"Take them down to the dungeons."

Wormtail quickly grabbed Ron and Hermione's arms.

"No, just the boys. I've got something a little more special planned for the girl."

Wormtail grabbed Ron and Harry's arms, dragging them towards another set of stairs. Both of them looked fearfully at Hermione, who was doing her best not to look afraid. Harry's heart was throbbing with pain. He wanted to do nothing more than scream out to her, to reassure her that everything would be okay. Just as she was disappearing from view, her eyes found his. Harry could do nothing to shake the complete and utter fear he saw there.

###

Harry and Ron landed on the cold, grimy dungeon floor as the door swung shut behind them. They both quickly got up and ran to the door but to no avail. They watched Wormtail scurry up the stairs before turning to each other.

The look on Ron's face was that of pure fear. Harry was sure that he had similar look on his face.

"Harry we have to get out of here. Hermione—"

"I know, Ron. I know." Harry looked around the dungeon but couldn't make out anything.

Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out his deluminator. Light immediately filled the dungeon. What Harry saw only made his hopes sink further. There was nothing, no windows or anything, that would help them escape.

He looked at Ron again, desperately trying to think of something, anything that would help them.

Just then a quiet, but familiar voice echoed through the dungeons. "Ron? Harry?"

"Luna?" Ron said, surprised.

She slowly walked out the shadows. Harry had never seen her look like this. Her features were haggard; her clothes stained here and there, her hair tangled and filthy. One thing remained the same, however: the look in her eyes was the same look he remembered. As she walked out, two other people followed. Harry recognized them immediately. _Ollivander and Griphook._

"Luna, what happened? Why are you here?" asked Harry.

"Well, the Death Eaters hadn't liked what my father was printing out, you see. They didn't like that he was supporting you." She paused and looked at both of them. "So they trashed his offices and threatened him, scaring him into printing what they wanted. Before they left, they took me to make sure father would keep his promise." She said it with the same tone as always but there was no denying the sad look that crossed her eyes as she did.

"Luna, I'm so s—"

A heart wrenching scream sounded from above, stopping Harry's heart. _No, no, please, not Hermione…_

###

The look of utter fear in Harry's eyes for her was still ingrained in Hermione's mind as she looked at Bellatrix.

The small smile on the Death Eater's face was doing nothing to help her current state. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the fear that was consuming her; there was no denying what was about to happen to her.

Her heartbeat sped up as Bellatrix slowly walked over to her, backing her up into a wall.

"How did you steal the sword, mudblood?"Bellatrix hissed.

"W-we didn't steal it," Hermione stuttered.

"Liar!" shrieked Bellatrix. She stuck her wand below Hermione's chin, digging the end of it into her neck. "Such a pretty face, shame it belongs to someone like you."

Bellatrix grabbed the neck of Hermione's coat and shoved her to the floor. "You stole the sword, mudblood! You took it from my vault! I can only imagine what else you must have taken!"

Hermione continued to lay on the floor, too afraid to look into her face. "No, no I swear!" Suddenly, something occurred to her. "It's a fake!"

"I am not daft, you filthy mudblood! Do you honestly think that you can trick me!"

Before Hermione could react, a pain like she never felt before tore through her body. A high pitch scream filled the room, drowning out Bellatrix's cackle.

A cold, evil voice broke through Hermione's world of pain.

"You're a liar, mudblood. Now you will pay."

###

Harry didn't think he'd ever been in so much pain. He'd experienced the Cruciatus spell before but this was much worse. Every scream tore right through his very being, to his very soul. He couldn't think, he almost couldn't breathe. His mind was fighting with his heart, trying to gain control, to focus on getting them out of there but every scream sent every logical thought right down the drain.

"Hermione! Hermione!" Ron screamed. That wasn't helping Harry either.

Harry looked over at the rest of their company. Luna had a blank look on her face, but her eyes showed that she was very much aware. Ollivander had a painful look, almost as if he was reliving his own encounters with this particular spell. Griphook was trying to look unaffected but every now and then, he would flinch.

Hermione's voice filled his consciousness._ You can't take much more of this, Harry. You're going to go insane if you don't do something NOW. _

His mind finally took over but his heart still contracted painfully with every scream.

"Ron! Ron, stop screaming! We have to figure out a way to get out of here!"

Ron wasn't listening, however. He kept screaming but Harry couldn't take it anymore. He walked over to Ron and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders.

Ron looked at him with surprised eyes, almost as if he had forgotten that he wasn't alone.

"Shut up, Ron. _Shut up_. We need to figure out how to get out of here NOW. Screaming isn't going to help anyone." Harry's voice was rough, almost cold. "I need you to help me. She needs _us _to help _her._"

A scared look settled on Ron's face for a moment before determination took its place. He nodded. "Okay, Harry."

Harry let go and turned to look at the other three prisoners. Luna seemed to sense what he was going to ask.

"There isn't any way out of here, Harry. We've tried everything."

Harry thought rapidly. The screams were still as loud and frequent as ever, tearing through Harry more and more as they continued. His mind had firm control, though, and it wasn't letting go.

"Somebody's coming," said Ron.

Wormtail appeared at the door. "Goblin!"

Griphook walked slowly to the door, an apprehensive look on his face. Wormtail dragged him up the stairs and in a couple of seconds, they were gone.

Harry started pacing. He was in such deep thought that he almost missed the pain in his ankle. He stopped in confusion before a crazy thought popped into his mind. In any other moment he would've felt ridiculous doing this but now, he didn't have any other options or ideas.

He kneeled down, pulling the shattered glass from his sock. He looked at it and without hesitating said, "Help us!"

Everybody in the room stared at him as if he'd gone crazy. Harry could feel their stares and couldn't help but feel a little crazy too. Another scream echoed through the dungeon, banishing all other thoughts completely.

Harry hardly dared to breathe as he waited; just as he was about to give up, a squeaky voice spoke up.

"Harry Potter, sir!"

Harry quickly turned around, shock written all over his face. "Dobby?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby is here to help Harry Potter!"

Harry could hardly believe it. He looked at Ron, who had the same shocked expression on his face.

_It must be the elf magic! The anti-apparition wards don't work on them!_

"Dobby, can you apparate them out of here?" Harry said, pointing at Luna and Ollivander.

"Of course, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby can!"

Harry was just thinking of a location when Ron spoke up. "Take them to Shell Cottage, Dobby." At Harry's questioning look, he said, "Trust me."

Harry nodded.

"Dobby will do as Mr. Wheezy says!" Dobby grabbed Luna and Ollivander's hands.

"Dobby, once you've done that, apparate back to the top of the stairs outside the dungeon. We'll try and distract Wormtail."

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby said before disappearing.

Harry looked at Ron. "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

They both walked to the cell door. Without thinking, both started yelling and banging on the bars of the door, making as much noise as possible.

This continued for about a minute before a shadow fell across the stairs, becoming smaller and smaller as Wormtail approached.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" he said, trying to sound tough as he pointed his wand at both of them.

Harry and Ron just stared at him when a strange look appeared on his face. He immediately dropped, his wand flying up the stairs right into Dobby's small hand.

Harry smiled as the door opened.

###

Hermione knew that she couldn't take much more of this. She was surprised she hadn't already passed out. The pain was unbelievable. It felt like every one of her nerves was on fire. She wanted to jump out of her skin, to let go, to not feel. Her screams were beginning to sound foreign, like they were coming from some distant place, far, far away. Her throat was so hoarse from all the yelling but she couldn't stop. Trying to look brave in the face of torture had only been a fleeting thought. Hermione couldn't think; she could only feel.

Bellatrix had stopped questioning. Now she was only hurling insult upon insult on her, torturing her to the edge of insanity. She stated over and over how filthy and worthless she was. How soon, her master would get rid of her and the rest of the scum.

There had been a moment of relief, a moment where pain wasn't wreaking havoc on her body and mind. Not for a moment did Hermione think that the Death Eater was easing up on her; not at all. While she welcomed the relief of feeling no pain, she was also scared of what Bellatrix would do instead.

She kept her eyes closed and almost cried when she felt the weight of another's body on hers. She didn't dare open her eyes as Bellatrix continued her never ending insults. Hermione was still reeling from the pain of the curse when she felt an intense pain on her left arm. Hermione cried out and struggled under her; she was cutting her, etching something on her skin.

Bellatrix cackled and whispered, "So that everyone will know what kind of filth you are."

The pressure lifted from her body, tears spilling from her eyes out of relief. She was only half aware of what was happening around her as Bellatrix called for the goblin. There was no more pain, at least for the time being, but she couldn't fully enjoy it. She knew it was only a matter of time before Bellatrix returned to her and even if she didn't, they were still stuck here. Hermione knew that the spell she used on Harry would be wearing off soon, something that would only make things worse.

Thinking about Harry only caused her more pain. She knew that what was happening to her now wouldn't compare to what they would do to Harry. Hope was leaking out of her, just like the tears from her eyes. They'd always been able to escape before but she didn't think they would have the same type of luck this time. She pushed those thoughts aside and finally opened her eyes.

Bellatrix was yelling at the goblin; she wasn't too sure about what.

"This sword is a fake, Madame Lestrange. A very good replica but a fake, nonetheless," said the goblin, as calm as ever even in the face of imminent danger.

Hermione thought she must have heard wrong but as she continued to look at them, something else caught her eye. Red, angry lines jumped out at her as she looked at her left arm. Blood was leaking out here and there; the letters blurred together as Hermione continued to stare. She had been branded.

_Mudblood._

The word echoed loudly in her mind, taunting at her, humiliating her. Shame hit her like a ton of bricks. Why hadn't she fought? Why hadn't she been stronger, braver? Instead she had cowered in fear. Hermione didn't think she had ever been more ashamed of herself.

Spells suddenly appeared around her, hitting the walls and shattering glass. She only had a moment to realize that Harry had escaped, that Ron was by his side, both of them firing off spells before she was lifted roughly from the ground, a dagger at her neck.

"Drop your wands!" Bellatrix screamed. Harry and Ron didn't move. "Drop your wands or I'll cut her neck open."

Guilt slammed into Harry as he looked at Hermione. Here she was again, suffering, holding on to dear life all because of him. Hate filled him as he dropped his wand, Ron doing the same beside him.

Suddenly, Harry felt a shift on his face as Hermione's spell wore off. Lucius' eyes widened as a wicked smile settled on Bellatrix's face.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up for the fun." Bellatrix paused, her smile growing more sinister. "Draco, call him."

Draco's face went pale. He looked at his mother, who could only return his helpless look. Lucius went to his son and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Call him, Draco. Imagine the glory we shall receive when we are the ones to deliver Harry Potter. He will reward us beyond imagining."

Draco didn't move, a frightened look still on his face. Harry could tell that Bellatrix was losing patience. Lucius must have noticed too for he moved away from his son, pulling his sleeve up in the process.

A dead silence filled the room. Everything seemed to slow down for Harry. He looked over at Hermione again, noticing the blood leaking from where the blade was pressing down on her neck. The elder Malfoy was reaching for his mark when a gentle squeaking filled the silence. Everybody looked around, confused. Almost simultaneously, everybody looked up.

Dobby was sitting atop the chandelier, a look of great concentration on his small face as he unscrewed the chandelier from its chain. Everybody seemed to be frozen in shock as the chandelier finally came loose. Several things happened all at once. Harry quickly moved towards Malfoy, struggling with him for a moment for the wands in his hand. Ron moved forward to catch a falling Hermione, who had been thrown with a shriek from Bellatrix, as she moved away from the falling chandelier. Dobby knocked the Death Eaters and Narcissa off their feet before appearing at the back of the room. A second later, the chandelier crashed on the ground, sending bits of glass everywhere. Harry quickly moved in front of Ron and Hermione as Dobby stood on a railing behind them; Griphook was standing slightly behind Ron, as if trying to avoid being seen.

"Dobby, get them out of here," Harry said quietly. Bellatrix was slowly regaining her footing as she reached for her wand.

A weak voice responded. "Harry, no…"

Harry couldn't look at her; his resolve would crumble if he did. Instead he looked at the small elf. "Dobby, go. Now."

Griphook reached out, grabbing the elf's hand. Ron looked at Harry for a moment before grabbing the other hand. Dobby hesitated for a second before saying, "Dobby will return for Harry Potter, sir."

Harry didn't have time to argue before they disappeared. Harry looked at Hermione right before they did, noticing his name come out wordlessly from her lips.

Harry quickly turned around, barely managing to escape a spell. The Malfoys had all got on their feet again, but only Narcissa had a wand to fight with. The sisters fired off spell after spell and all Harry could do was deflect, neither giving him any time to counter attack.

Suddenly, both women were knocked off their feet yet again, Bellatrix's wand zooming towards him before landing in Dobby's hand.

Bellatrix was much quicker on her feet this time. "Stupid elf! You're trying to kill me!"

"Dobby never meant to kill. Dobby only meant to harm or seriously injure," squeaked the small elf.

As Dobby grabbed his hand, Harry noticed the knife once again in Bellatrix's hand. What he didn't see, however, was how it flew straight at them just as they were disappearing.

###

Harry landed roughly on the ground, a searing pain in his left shoulder.

"Harry Potter, sir! You are hurt!"

Harry opened his eyes and quickly noticed the knife sticking out of his shoulder. Small hands soon appeared on the hilt, gently pulling it out. Harry flinched, nearly crying out. Blood quickly gushed out of the wound. Dobby closed his eyes and held his hands over the injury, stopping the blood after a couple of seconds. Harry watched as the wound began to heal and then abruptly stop.

The elf looked at Harry with sad eyes. "Dobby is sorry, sir. Dobby is feeling weak and cannot heal Harry Potter completely. "

Harry smiled weakly. "It's okay, Dobby. You did more than enough."

He looked around, noticing the beach for the first time. A small cottage sat behind them. Alarm quickly filled him.

"Dobby, where's Hermione? And Ron? Are they okay?" he asked urgently.

"Harry Potter's friends are fine, sir. Mr. Wheezy took them all to that house over there."

A sigh of relief escaped him as he lay back down on the beach. "Good. Thank you, Dobby, for saving our lives." An intense urge to go see Hermione filled him.

"Dobby is being very sorry, sir."

Harry lifted his head and looked at Dobby, a frown on his face. "Why?"

"Harry Potter once asked Dobby to never try to save his life again." Dobby's head drooped. "But that is exactly what Dobby did, sir."

Harry chuckled. "Don't worry, Dobby, I forgive you."

Dobby's head shot up, a hopeful look on his face. "Really, Harry Potter, sir?"

Harry smiled at him. "Really." He paused for a second as the setting around him became blurry. "Dobby?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir?"

"I think I'm going to pass out. So don't freak out, okay?"

He passed out before Dobby could answer

* * *

><p>Alright, so there it is. I hope I got Dobby's dialogue right. I struggled with his lines lol. A lot of Harry Potter, sirs but I remember that he used to say that, didn't he? Oh and yes, I saved him. I actually really thought about this and at first I was going to do the same thing as Rowling but I just couldn't do it. I love Dobby so I decided to save him in my story. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it :) Reviews are always welcome :)<p>

Thanks for reading :D


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys! So here's chapter 12. Definitely more emotional than any other chapter I've done. I hope you guys like it :)

Oh and I'd just like to thank everybody for their reviews :) They really do make my day so thanks!

Well anyway, without further ado, Chapter 12 :)

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Darkness gave way to cracked ceiling as Hermione opened her eyes.

She had a vague feeling of déjà vu, like she had been in a situation similar to this one. _Well of course, after Godric's Hollow remember?_ She didn't feel as tired but there was still a feeling of weakness, a feeling she didn't like one bit.

"Oh good, you're finally awake."

Hermione jumped as she looked towards the voice. Ron was sitting on a chair next to her bed, not extremely close but not far either. His was definitely not the face she had expected to see when she woke up. She looked around the room but didn't see the face she had been expecting.

Ron seemed to sense what she was thinking. "I don't know where he is, Hermione."

Alarm quickly filled her. It must have shown on her face because Ron urgently said, "No, not like that. He came back not long after us but I haven't seen him around much lately."

Hermione deflated a little, relief coursing through her. "So he's okay?" She was glad her voice sounded normal and not weak like she felt.

"Yeah, he's fine. Physically, anyway," Ron said, a knowing look on his face.

He didn't have to say anything else for Hermione to understand. She knew that Harry probably hated himself at the moment. _That's probably why he isn't here. He feels too guilty._

Hermione shook her head. It seemed that no matter how many times she said it, Harry was never going to understand that not everything was his fault. His love for those around him was something that she loved and hated at the same time. He would do anything for his loved ones but if anything wrong happened to any of them, he would immediately blame himself.

A painful thought suddenly filled her mind. "Has he been here at all?"

Ron gave her a look. "Of course he has, Hermione. He may feel guilty but that can't keep him away for long. He was here for most of our first day but I think his guilt eventually won out," Ron said sadly.

Hermione nodded. Whatever happened between her and Ron had been put aside, at least for now. She knew that she didn't hate him anymore but the wound of his leaving was still there, still open. She had a feeling that no matter how much time passed, that wound would never completely heal. What she did know, however, was that she didn't feel that way towards him anymore. She had trusted him to stay; she thought she knew who he was but what she thought hadn't turned out to be true. In all honesty, she didn't trust him anymore. Sure, she trusted him with her life; she knew that he would do anything to protect her but she didn't trust him with her heart. He had hurt her so much and that was before he had even had her heart. She couldn't imagine what kind of pain he could cause if he ever did have it.

She looked at him now, everything she was feeling showing in her eyes. He must have understood, at least somewhat, because he nodded solemnly. She just hoped that he didn't think this was something that could be fixed over time; that eventually she would be able to forgive him because she knew that would never happen.

"I can't say how sorry I am, Hermione," he said, not looking at her. After a couple of seconds, he looked back at her. "I let you down. I let Harry down. We both swore we would be there for him but I failed. I was supposed to be there for you but I wasn't. What was going on between us…that was something I could hardly believe to be true. But being the bloody idiot that I am, I went and screwed that up. I know that I can't get that back and I can't even be angry about it because that's what I deserve. I don't deserve you." He looked at her then with an intensity in his eyes that she'd never seen aimed at her before. "I'm not asking you to forgive me and I never will. I just hope that one day you'll be able to look at me and not doubt whether I'll be there or not."

Hermione remained quiet; there really wasn't anything else to say. She just smiled softly at him and nodded. Ron smiled back, her response more than good enough for him. After weeks of nothing but glares and stony silences, he would gladly take anything else.

"Alright, I'll let you rest then." He stood up. "Do you need anything? Water? Food?"

The mention of food only caused her stomach to protest loudly, making her smile bigger. "That would be great, actually."

If Ron heard her stomach, he didn't say anything. He did chuckle, though, as he said, "Well, I'll let Fleur know that you're up. I'm sure she'll have something for you in no time." He started walking to the door.

As he opened it, Hermione said, "Thanks, Ron."

He looked back at her, smiling. "No problem, Hermione."

Once she was alone, her thoughts immediately turned to Harry. She sighed. She was sure that he would soon know that she was awake, although Ron had said that he hadn't seen Harry in while. She had a feeling that one of two things would happen: either he would race to her as soon as he heard or he would stay away, his guilt overriding everything else. She knew which one she wanted but she felt that it would probably be the second. _Well, no matter. As soon as I eat, I'm going to find him and knock some sense into him. I would go now but Fleur would probably force me to eat before I did anything else._

With that thought, she settled back on her pillows to wait for her food. When Fleur arrived a couple of minutes later carrying a tray full of food, Hermione didn't think she'd ever loved the half-veela more.

###

"_She's awake."_

Ron's voice reverberated around his head as the Jack Russell Terrier disappeared.

A desperate urge to go see her gripped him but his overwhelming guilt kept him in place. He was sitting on the beach, watching the waves go back and forth, the wind ruffling his hair into further disarray.

A voice very much like Hermione's filled his head._ You're such an idiot. Why do you keep doing this to yourself? _

Harry knew that people, or more specifically Hermione, must get tired of his wallowing but he just couldn't help it. How could he? The people around him only suffered because _he_ was around _them_. People could tell him all they wanted, but there was no denying that those he loved would suffer far less if he had never crossed their paths.

Hermione in particular had suffered so much because of him. The last time, he swore he would protect her no matter what but he failed, yet again. He was going to go insane if anything else happened to her. If he could, he would leave right now but he knew Hermione. She was as stubborn as him and she would just go looking for him, not stopping until she found him.

"Either you're getting rusty or you're just not trying anymore."

Harry's heart stopped before it began beating furiously. "There isn't many places to hide around here," he said, not looking at her.

Hermione walked over to him and sat down, not even attempting to care about his personal space. Harry's left side tingled where her body touched his. They sat in silence, just watching the waves.

Hermione spoke up just as Harry was about to say something, "If you apologize, I swear I might hex you." Her tone was soft but firm, quieting Harry instantly.

She looked at him, her gaze soft. "Harry, I don't know how many times I have to tell you that not everything is your fault. Things happen that are beyond your control."

"Well, what happened was in my control, Hermione." He looked at her, his gaze intense. "I was the one who apparated us to where the snatchers were."

"How were you supposed to know that the snatchers were there? You didn't know, Harry."

Harry was starting to get frustrated. "That's not the point, Hermione. Don't you see? You've suffered so much because you're around me." She opened her mouth to say something but Harry cut her off. "Yes, I know, nobody is forcing you to stay with me but you can't honestly tell me that you wouldn't be better off without me in your life."

Hermione stared at him, a grim expression on her face. "Actually, I don't know that, Harry. Who knows where I'd be if I didn't have you in my life. Oh wait, actually I do. I'd probably be dead." Harry looked away, her gaze too intense. "Even then, how much better could my life possibly be if I wasn't your friend? Because in case you've forgotten, I'm still a muggle-born, Harry. Do you think those snatchers would stay away from me if I wasn't your friend? No, they wouldn't because that's not how this works. I'm still a mudblood with or without you."

Harry's gaze snapped to hers at her use of the word. He glared at her. "Don't say that."

Hermione's gaze didn't waver as she glared back. "Even if you weren't in my life, I'd still be in danger. My family would still be hunted."

Harry glared at her for a couple of seconds before looking away, but as he did, something caught his eye. Hermione followed his gaze and mentally groaned. He was looking at the bandage that was covering up her scar. She sighed, waiting for the inevitable question.

Harry looked at her again. "What is that?"

"It's called a bandage, Harry." _Really? Did you really just say that?_

"Hermione." His tone was stern, almost cold.

Hermione sighed and began to remove the bandage. She knew that this moment would have happened eventually but she never realized that she would be this nervous.

Harry stared intently as her hands removed the bandage. His stomach was in knots and for a moment, he wanted to stop her, so that he wouldn't have to see what was under there. He stayed quiet and in a couple of seconds the bandage was off.

Hermione couldn't look at him. She could feel his gaze burning a hole on her left arm but he didn't say anything.

_Mudblood._

Angry, red lines jumped out at him, screamed at him. Harry wanted to strike out at something, something that looked like a certain Death Eater. As Harry continued to stare, he noticed that Hermione wasn't looking at him. _She's ashamed._ Anger like he never felt before coiled inside of him.

Hermione chanced a look at him and what she saw scared her. Anger like she'd never seen before; she could practically feel it rolling off of him.

"Harry," she started.

"No, don't Hermione." He stood up. "Just don't."

Hermione scrambled to her feet as he started to walk away, the bandage falling forgotten on the sand.

Harry needed to hit something, _now. _He couldn't find anything, though, as he looked around. The anger he was feeling was eating him alive. He could feel Hermione not far behind him, calling for him. He couldn't though, he just couldn't.

Hermione had enough. "Harry, stop!" When he didn't, she ran in front of him and pushed him but he didn't budge.

Harry almost laughed at Hermione's feeble attempt to stop him.

"Hermione, just—I need—" His anger was so intense that he couldn't even form coherent sentences.

Hermione stood in front of him, her hands still on his chest. "What? What do you need, Harry?" He was fuming, his hands clenched tightly at his side.

Harry shook his head and backed away, dropping to his knees. Before Hermione could do anything, Harry started punching the sand.

Harry knew he must look ridiculous but he couldn't find it in him to care. He needed to hit something and the sand was the only thing he could think of.

Hermione dropped to her knees beside him but didn't try to stop him. She just sat there and watched him go crazy. Soon, she saw tiny cuts appear on his knuckles but even then she didn't try anything. She knew that he needed to get this out of his system.

After what felt like hours, he stopped but remained hunched over the sand. Hermione ran her hands up and down his back, feeling every sharp breath he took.

Once his breathing had calmed down, he slowly sat back. Hermione scooted closer to him and grabbed his hands. There were tiny cuts everywhere, blood leaking here and there. She took out her wand but before she could cast a healing spell, Harry moved his hands away.

"No."

Hermione huffed and glared at him. "Harry."

He looked at her, defiant. She won out, though, and soon his hands were completely healed.

Harry looked at her for a moment before his gaze lowered to her arm. Hermione self consciously moved her arm away, hiding the scar against her stomach. Harry looked back at her, a frown settling on his face.

"Hermione, you don't have to be ashamed in front of me. I know what it feels like to have scars, remember?"

She continued to look at him, a worried look on her face. Harry scooted closer to her, sitting on her right side. Slowly, she removed her arm from her stomach and moved it towards him. He gently held it in his hands, turning her arm over in his palms. He stared for a couple of seconds before he lifted a hand and gently touched the scar.

Hermione's heart melted; his touch was so tender. The cuts still hurt a little but the pain immediately left her as his hand wandered over the scar. Harry looked at her again and frowned. With a jolt, Hermione realized that tears were running down her face. She had been so intent on Harry that she hadn't even noticed when she started crying.

Harry didn't say anything as he brought her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her like a warm blanket. There was so much pain in her eyes and he wanted to do anything that would make it go away. He had never been good with crying women, but he didn't care if he had to sit here all day with a crying Hermione in his arms. He would be here for her no matter what.

The tears began in earnest as Hermione settled into Harry's arms. She knew he was giving her the opportunity to break down, to grieve for what she went through. He didn't say anything but she knew that no words were needed; his presence was enough for her. As he held her, she completely let go, crying like never before. Her body shook with the force of her sobs.

Through it all, Harry never said a word. He just held her, running his hands through her hair and soothingly rubbing her back. There were several moments where tears threatened to spill from his own eyes, but he held them back. Hermione's pain hurt him more than his own but he wasn't going to break down. This was Hermione's moment and he was going to be strong for her.

Hermione knew that she wasn't just crying for what Bellatrix did to her. No, her tears were about so much more than that; they were for everything. For what she had gone through all these years, for what she did to her parents, for what this war was doing to them. For Harry and everything he had been put through; everything he still had yet to face. Even for Ron, who carried the painful burden of worrying for his family, a family that had done nothing but treat Harry and Hermione as if they were one of their own. After Ron had left, Hermione thought that she had never cried as much as she did then, that she would never cry that much again. Clearly, she had been wrong. It seemed as if every tear in her body was hell bent on escaping her body today and Hermione did nothing to stop them. Just as Harry needed to get his anger out, she needed to get this out; who knew when she would have another opportunity.

After what felt like hours, Hermione finally felt herself calm down. She slowly sat up, wiping her eyes for any remaining tears. She looked at Harry and immediately noticed how drenched his shirt looked.

"Oh Harry, look what I've done to your shirt!" Her voice was still thick from the tears.

His eyes followed hers. "Don't worry about it, Hermione," he said, looking back at her. "It's nothing a drying spell can't fix." He took out his wand and dried his shirt. "See? All better."

She gave him a small smile. After a moment she said, "Thanks, Harry."

Harry shook his head. "Don't mention it." He paused. "Feel better?"

"Loads."

Harry sighed and smiled a little. "Good."

A knowing look settled on her face. "Are you done feeling guilty?"

Harry looked away. "No." When he heard her sigh, he looked back at her. "But I'll try for you."

"Good," she said softly.

Harry looked back out towards the waves, a calm look on his face. Looking at him, there was so much Hermione wanted to tell him. _Well, no, not really. There's ONE thing you really want to tell him. ONE thing you would love for him to say to you. _Hermione frowned slightly. _Well, obviously. But after that, there's so much more. _

Hermione knew that it would be easy. Right now, as she continued to look at him, she knew that all she had to do was whisper the words and he would know. Even then, however, she knew she wouldn't do it. No matter how much she wanted to say it, scream it sometimes, she knew that things were still too complicated. There was too much going on, too many things to do, that worrying about her love life seemed ridiculous. It wasn't so much that she was worried that Harry didn't feel the same. She had a feeling he did; she just didn't know how strong those feelings were. She didn't know if what he felt for her was as strong, as deep, as what she felt for him.

No, that wasn't it. It was their surroundings, their situation. Harry needed to focus; _she_ needed to focus in order to get him out of this alive. Bringing up any feelings would distract them and if she were honest with herself, she didn't know if either of them would survive this thing. She told Harry time and time again that they would get through this and she believed it. She really did but she couldn't help that tiny part of her that screamed what if? She was afraid that if they declared whatever feelings they had for each other, it would eventually be for naught. She didn't dwell on this often but there were times, like now, where she couldn't help it. She always shook herself out of it, though, every time becoming more determined to help Harry succeed. There was nothing more she wanted than to see Harry after it all. To see him as just Harry, without all the pressure resting on his shoulders, without any pain behind his eyes. She just wanted to see his smile, the relief on his face, the absolute joy behind his eyes because finally, _finally_, it was over.

As Hermione looked out at the waves, gently resting her head on Harry's shoulder, she knew that she would do everything in her power to make that happen.

* * *

><p>So there it is. There are several moments that I wish J.K. Rowling had given us but unfortunately, that didn't happen. I felt that the Ron part was necessary, to my story anyways. I love Ron and I always will. There are times where I absolutely hate him but it doesn't last long. No matter what flaws he may have, there is no denying that Ron is very brave. He can be selfish and childish but overall, he's an amazing person. He's a human that makes mistakes, just like everyone else. So I wanted him to have a moment with Hermione to settle whatever was going on between them because I knew that if that little thing wasn't resolved, it would just continue to be a problem. Now I'm not saying that it's completely resolved. I'm sure that even if Ron were able to put aside his jealousy, he would still feel a little hurt over Harry and Hermione getting together eventually but having that moment between them makes me feel like it would be less harsh for him when it did happen. The mudblood scar is obviously movie canon but I would have loved to see Harry's reaction to that so I included that in my story. I also felt that Hermione always deserved a moment to just breakdown. It doesn't mean she's weak in any way, it just shows that she's human and that she feels. She's always so strong in the books but this is war, and war breaks people down, especially considering that this war is about her blood, about her place in the magical world. I don't know, it's just something I thought she needed so I wrote it in. Anyway, I'm going to stop here because I could seriously yap about this all day.<p>

Hope you guys liked it and thanks for reading :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! So sorry for the delay. I just got a little busy; I'll try to get the next update up sooner. School is almost starting for me, though, which means packing and getting things ready so I apologize in advance if there are any more delays. I'll try hard not to let that happen, though. Anyway, here's Chapter 13. It's more of a filler than anything so, again, I'm sorry for making you guys wait for it. Still, I hope you guys like it. There are some things that are very similar to canon but I changed things here and there. Enjoy :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

On the fourth day at Shell Cottage, Harry decided to get things moving again.

Harry had been itching to do something since they had arrived, plans forming in his mind from the moment he woke up the next day. He knew he couldn't act on them, however. Everybody was still recovering from their escape and others, like Ollivander and Griphook, had to recover a lot more than the rest. If he could, Harry would have given all of them as much time as they needed but time was not on their side. They had come too close to failing and now, more than ever, Harry was determined to finish this.

Harry found everyone, save Ollivander and Griphook, already starting their breakfasts when he walked downstairs that day. Ron was sitting next to Luna, more than half of his plate already gone. Hermione sat across from them, trying not to cringe as Ron inhaled his breakfast as usual.

Hermione was the first to notice him. "Harry," she said, smiling.

Warmth spread through him at her smile. He returned it as he sat down next to her.

"Good morning, Harry," said Luna.

"Morning, mate," said Ron, between bites.

"Morning, guys."

A high voice came from the kitchen door. "Harry Potter, sir!"

Dobby stood there, a huge smile on his face and colorful socks on his feet.

Harry smiled at Dobby. "Good morning, Dobby. Sleep well?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Ah, Harry, you're up," said Bill, entering from the kitchen. "Good. Any longer and Ron would have left you without food."

Ron scowled at his brother.

Harry chuckled. "I'm sure I would have been able to pry a bit of toast out of his hands." He smirked at his friend. "At the very least, some crumbs."

With his mouth full of food, Ron could only glare.

Harry grinned and turned to Bill. "Where's Fleur?"

"Checking up on Ollivander and Griphook."

"How are they?" Hermione asked.

Before Bill could answer, another voice cut in. "Still weak but better."

Everybody turned as Fleur walked down the stairs, a tray in her hands.

"I need to talk to both of them," said Harry.

This seemed to take everyone by surprise. Fleur looked like she might object but the determination in Harry's eyes stopped her. Instead she nodded and said, "Okay, but maybe you should eet first. Zat will give zem time to finish zeir breakfast."

Reluctantly, Harry nodded; he was hungry, after all. As Harry dug into his breakfast, he could feel Hermione's penetrating gaze on him. He hadn't told either Ron or Hermione what his plans were; not because he didn't want to but because he had only just decided what they were. He was sure she was dying of curiosity, though. Harry slightly shook his head at her.

"Later," he said so only she could hear.

Hermione frowned slightly but returned to her breakfast, nonetheless. Both of them failed to notice the small smile on Luna's face.

###

An hour later, Harry entered Griphook's room and found the goblin sitting on a cushioned chair near the window. Harry glanced briefly at Ron and Hermione behind him before turning to speak to him. Before he could say anything though, Griphook spoke.

"Mr. Potter." He paused briefly as Harry came around to stand in front of him. "Vault 687."

Harry was taken aback. "You remember that?"

"You are a very famous wizard, even to goblins. We may not look upon wizards in a favorable way, but no goblin would forget leading Harry Potter to his vault for the first time."

Harry's eyes were wide with surprise but he quickly pushed it away; none of that mattered right now. He looked at the goblin, a serious look on his face. "How have you been feeling?"

"Still a little weak, but the rest has been doing me good."

Harry nodded. "That's good to hear."

Griphook glanced at the two other occupants in the room before setting his penetrating black eyes back on Harry. "While I appreciate the concern, I'm sure that is not the only reason you are here."

_Well, no reason to beat around the bush. _"We need to get into Gringotts." He paused. "Into one of the vaults."

If Griphook was surprised, he didn't show it. "Which vault?"

Instead of answering, Harry looked towards the sword of Gryffindor, which was resting against the wall in the corner closest to him.

Griphook's features didn't change; Harry was sure the goblin already knew the answer before he had even asked.

"There's a reason why Bellatrix Lestrange was so worried when she saw this sword. How did you get it?"

Harry understood the insinuation. "We didn't steal it, if that's what you're asking." He glanced at Ron before answering. "It came to us just like it would for any Gryffindor."

Griphook nodded, not looking the least bit ashamed at what he had implied. "It's curious that she was so upset seeing as how Severus Snape himself removed the sword from her vault. I'm assuming she doesn't know that, however."

Harry, Hermione and Ron reacted simultaneously.

"What?"

"Professor Snape?"

"Why would he do that?"

Griphook remained unfazed as he answered. "He took the sword and left a replica in its place. A very good replica if anyone but a goblin was looking at it."

Harry looked at Hermione. Her confused expression matched his. _Why would Snape do that? _Harry shook his head; he would think about that later.

"So you want to get into the Lestrange vault. Why?"

Harry hesitated. He knew this question was coming but he still hadn't figured out any way around it. "I know we're asking you for your help but there are some things we can't tell you."

"I'd assumed as much." Harry was starting to think that it was no easy feat to catch this goblin off guard.

"So will you help us?"

"What will I get in return?"

Harry knew this was coming as well. "I have gold. Lots of it."

Griphook shook his head. "That is of no use to me."

Harry felt surprise hit him again. Isn't that what goblins valued most? Harry frowned as something occurred to him.

"You want the sword."

Griphook nodded. "It is a great example of goblin craftsmanship and beyond price."

Harry didn't argue. He knew that no matter what he said, the goblin wouldn't relent. _I'll just have to figure out how to get the sword back._

"Fine, if you help us, the sword is yours."

"Then I will help you. I will need a couple more days of rest, however."

Harry tried to reign in his frustration. There was no point in getting angry; there was no way they would succeed without the goblin.

"We'll let you rest then." As Harry walked out the door, he couldn't help but notice that Griphook never took his eyes off the sword.

Once they were outside, Hermione quickly shut the door and faced Harry. "You think there's another horcrux in Bellatrix's vault." It wasn't a question.

"Well, it's obvious isn't it? The way she reacted made it seem like she was guarding something very important in there," Harry whispered.

"Yes, but without the sword how are we going to destroy it?" she asked.

Harry stayed silent.

Ron answered instead. "We're just going to have to figure out how to get it back." He looked between the two. "We're probably going to have to wing it."

Hermione frowned. Harry knew that 'winging it' was not something that Hermione ever liked to do; she planned everything out ahead of time. He couldn't think of anything else, though.

"What are you going to talk to Ollivander about?" she asked.

"I need to ask him about some wands I took from Malfoy."

The three of them walked to his room; Harry knocked softly before entering.

"Mr. Ollivander?" The old man looked up from his bed. "Can we talk to you for a second?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter, of course." The wandmaker's voice was stronger but the weakness he felt could still be heard.

Harry took out two wands from his back pocket and sat down in a chair near the bed.

"I was just wondering if you could tell us about these wands." He handed one to him.

The wand was elegant, sleek, and black. Harry had a feeling it was Malfoy's but he couldn't be sure.

Ollivander was running his hands over the wand, inspecting it as a child would inspect a present under the Christmas tree. "Hmmm, unicorn hair, hawthorne wood, ten inches… relatively flexible." He paused. "It seems this wand no longer belongs to its old master."

"And who is that, sir?"

"Draco Malfoy."

Harry nodded as Ollivander returned it to him, feeling somewhat uneasy at the thought that this wand had some allegiance to him now. Harry handed over the second one.

Where the first wand was elegant and refined, this one was anything but. It was crude in its design, exuding a certain power that was palpable on sight.

Ollivander examined it much as he did the first one. "Twelve and three-quarter inches, dragon heartstring…made of walnut wood." He tried to bend the wand. "Unyielding… this is a very powerful wand that belonged to an equally powerful witch." He looked at Harry. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

Hermione flinched. She didn't know that Harry had taken that wand. It kind of amazed her that she hadn't recognized it immediately. Ron settled a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving her a small smile when she turned to look at him. She smiled weakly before returning her gaze to Harry.

Harry's jaw clenched as he took the wand back. He felt wrong holding it, like it was going to burn him at any second. He had the strongest urge to destroy it; to destroy the wand that had caused Hermione so much pain. He quickly calmed himself as he looked back at Ollivander.

"Thank you, sir." He got up. "We'll let you rest now."

Ollivander nodded and smiled. As Harry walked towards the door, he noticed the smile had already disappeared. Ollivander was now looking towards the window, his mind clearly somewhere else.

Harry stopped. "Sir?"

Ollivander looked at him, surprised that he was still there.

"You shouldn't feel guilty about telling him. He was torturing you; there was nothing you could do."

Some of the weight on Ollivander's shoulders seemed to vanish as he looked at Harry. He smiled again as he said, "Thank you."

Harry nodded and turned to go.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry quickly stopped and looked back. "Yes, sir?"

"Good luck."

Harry smiled. "Thank you."

He walked out, closing the door behind him before turning to look at Ron and Hermione. He tried to quell the butterflies in his stomach as he looked at Hermione's smile. "Alright, we need to go over the details, make sure we figure everything out."

They nodded and headed to his room.

Once they were all situated, they started figuring out the details.

"Okay, we need to figure out a way to get in without being detected," said Harry.

"I have an idea, Harry."

_Of course she does. It's Hermione. _He wouldn't be surprised if she had everything already figured out and ready to go.

Harry and Ron looked at her expectantly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial. As Harry stared at it he realized what was inside it.

"Whose is it?" he asked.

She looked him in the eyes. "Bellatrix."

Ron was the first to react. "Hold on, you're saying that you want to turn into that barmy witch? Are you crazy?"

Hermione looked like she wanted to roll her eyes. "Well, how else are we going to get in? If you have a better plan, I'm all ears."

She looked at him expectantly. For a moment it looked like Ron did have a better plan but that moment soon passed. He looked away, a frown on his face.

Hermione looked at Harry. If he were honest, the plan was brilliant. What better way to infiltrate a secure area than as one of Voldemort's most powerful supporters? No one would give them a second glance; he was sure people would get as far away from them as possible, actually. What he didn't like was that Hermione would be the one to turn into that particular supporter. He knew that the very idea probably made her skin crawl.

He looked at her seriously. "Are you sure?"

Hermione looked away briefly before looking back at him. "I honestly can't think of any other way."

Harry sighed heavily and nodded. "Okay. If you're sure than we'll do it."

She nodded again, determination written all over her face.

"Wait, but won't this back track us?" Ron asked. "I mean, polyjuice potion takes a long time to make."

Harry gave him a small smile. "Actually Ron, I'm pretty sure Hermione has several vials of that stuff in that beaded bag of hers."

Hermione blinked as Ron looked at her. He shook his head. "Of course, how could I forget? Hermione, ever the prepared one."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Well enough about that. What about you two?"

Ron thought a moment before saying, "Well, I could pretend I'm one of your henchmen. Maybe just change some of my features, you know."

Hermione nodded. "Okay, that could work. Simple but effective." She looked at Harry. "I think maybe you should stay under your invisibility cloak with Griphook."

Harry made a face but Hermione quickly said, "It would just be safer if nobody saw you at all."

He knew she was right but he still didn't like it. _Why is it that everyone else always seems to be at a bigger risk than me no matter what I do?_

Hermione frowned. "Stop that."

Harry looked at her in surprise. _How does she do that!_

Ron quickly caught on. "Yeah, mate, it's not like you're not going to be there. You'll be with us every step of the way, but no one will be able to see that."

Harry frowned but nodded anyway. "Alright, let's just hope Griphook is ready soon enough."

###

It took two more days for Griphook to feel well enough to go.

Harry woke up that day as nervous as ever. He knew he could hope for everything to go smoothly but knowing their luck, he was sure some things were bound to happen. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind though as he headed downstairs to join the rest.

"Well, nargles are a nuisance but they're not really dangerous. Heliopaths are a different story, though. Have you heard of them?"

Harry stopped at the bottom of the stairs and smiled at what he saw. Ron was sitting in the small living room next to Luna. What surprised him, though, was that Ron actually looked interested in what Luna was saying. Ron shook his head at her question.

"Oh, well, they're fire spirits that burn everything in their path. Several people have told my father about them. Curious creatures don't you think? I would love to see one."

"Wouldn't you be scared though?" asked Ron. "I mean if they burn everything in their path, don't you think they might try to burn you down?"

A look of deep thought settled over Luna's features. "Hmm, maybe someone would be there to pull me out of the way. I doubt it though, I don't have many friends."

Ron frowned. "Yes, you do. You have me, and Harry and Hermione. Ginny and Neville, too."

"That's nice," she said. A dreamy look settled over her features as she looked at Ron. "I wonder if you have any wrackspurts floating around your head. Last time I saw, Harry had a lot of them. I don't have my Spectrespects, though."

Harry felt a presence behind him. He turned and saw Hermione looking at Ron and Luna. Something Harry couldn't really describe settled in the pit of his stomach as he looked at her. He still wasn't sure how she felt about Ron; it's something he didn't really like thinking about. The feeling quickly disappeared, however, when she looked at him and smiled. Both of them returned their gazes to the blond and the redhead.

"Wrackspurts?"

"They float into your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. You can't see them though since they're invisible."

"Oh so that's what the uh… spectrspects are for then?"

Luna smiled. "Spectrespects and yes; I could get you a pair if you want. I have several of them back at home."

For a moment, the light in Luna's eyes dimmed. Ron looked uncomfortable but it quickly passed. He lightly patted Luna's shoulder.

"I'm sure your dad's okay. Probably working on loads of new stories."

Luna's trademark dreamy look returned at Ron's words. "Yes, I'm sure he is."

Ron smiled and finally noticed them. He quickly stood up and said, "Oh, hey guys. I didn't know you were up already."

"Just woke up, actually," Harry said. "Morning, Luna."

She smiled. "Good morning, Harry." She looked at Hermione. "Good morning, Hermione."

"Good morning, Luna."

Luna stood up. "Well, I'll just go. You're all too nice to tell me to leave."

She walked out of the living room and began climbing the stairs. Before she disappeared, Hermione stopped her.

"Luna, what are you going to do?" She paused. "I mean, what are your plans?"

She turned to look at the three of them. "Well, I'm returning to Hogwarts." She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Be careful, Luna," said Harry.

"Yeah and watch out for Heliopaths," Ron said.

She beamed at them. "You too." She quickly disappeared up the stairs.

Harry and Hermione turned to look at Ron, a smile on both of their faces.

"What?" When neither of them said anything, he kept talking. "So she says some really weird things, so what? They're pretty interesting actually; completely nutters, but interesting, nonetheless."

Harry and Hermione continued to smile at him. "Stop it! And anyway, shouldn't we be getting ready to go?"

This snapped both of them out of it.

Seeing Hermione as one of their most hated enemies was the strangest thing Harry had ever seen. Bellatrix Lestrange exuded a cold but powerful air; it didn't take long to figure out that she was not someone to cross. This Bellatrix, however, was the complete opposite. Even with the change in features, Harry could still tell it was Hermione. Nothing about her was cold and when she looked at them her eyes weren't cruel at all; he could sense the warmth he always saw when he looked into Hermione's chocolate colored eyes. Harry hoped that people feared Bellatrix enough to stay away from her; he was sure that Hermione would have a hard time imitating the Death Eater's malevolent demeanor.

She hadn't looked in the mirror when she had changed. Hermione saw the evil woman in her nightmares often enough; there was no need to see her in the flesh, even if it wasn't really her. Even so, Hermione had never felt so _awkward_ before. There were moments in her early teenage life where she felt uncomfortable in her own body but that didn't compare to this at all. The Death Eater was shorter than her and the mane of wild hair was even harder to tame than hers. The clothes she was wearing didn't help either: all black, leather, and heeled boots. Those were three things people wouldn't normally find anywhere in Hermione Granger's closet.

Harry's voice cut through her thoughts. "Alright, are we ready to go?"

Hermione saw Ron nod. His hair had been lengthened and a beard now covered most of his face. It was something he had been rather proud of until Harry had quickly pointed out that it wasn't Ron who had actually grown it. Hermione smirked at the thought.

Harry turned to her. "Are you good?"

"No amount of time is going to make me used to this so yes, ready as I'll ever be."

Harry nodded. "Alright, you should probably take the sword in your bag."

"Okay," said Hermione, turning to the goblin behind her. Griphook seemed hesitant to part with it but soon the sword was safely hidden in the depths of Hermione's bag.

Ron and Hermione moved to stand on either side of Harry. They all turned to look at Griphook.

Harry spoke, his voice serious. _He's in leader mode now_, thought Hermione. "Griphook, we're counting on you. If you keep up your end of the deal, we'll keep ours."

The goblin nodded as the trio linked hands. He rested his hand on top and in a blink of an eye, they were gone.

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><p><strong>Alright, so that's it. Not as good as the other chapters, I must admit, but I thought it was necessary for what's to come. A little lightness before the dark you know? I hope I got Luna down. I still have trouble coming up with stuff for her to say; she's so out there but I needed to have her in the story because I absolutely love her :) Oh and Fleur as well; it wasn't much but I hope I got her dialogue down too. If not, please let me know. It doesn't hurt trying to get better :)<strong>

**Thanks for reading and remember, reviewing is good for the soul :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**So I forgot to mention this last time: Over 100 reviews! When I saw that, I was so happy! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review. I appreciate it so much :D **

**Anyway, here's the newest chapter. Originally, I had something else planned for this chapter but then this came to me and I liked it better. I hope you guys like it too :)**

**I already started working on the next chapter but I'm moving back to school soon, so I'm going to be busy these next couple of days. Things might get hectic as I settle in again but I'll try not to update too late :)**

****Read and enjoy (hopefully). ****

****Oh and no, I still don't own this. Just writing to make my HHr shipper heart feel a little bit better :)****

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

Night had settled over Shell Cottage. No lights could be seen in the house. The waves were coming and going, creating a soothing background noise. The moon cast a glow on everything, adding to the calm feeling of the area.

Suddenly, three cracks pierced the air; where before there was only empty space, three people now stood. They looked weary and wet. All of them looked like they were dressed in black, but only two were: the bushy haired girl and one of the boys, whose red hair stood out even in the moonlight. The other boy wore glasses; he had begun pacing as soon as they arrived, not even bothering with his wet clothes.

The girl immediately got to work. She reached into her small bag and pulled out more stuff than should have fit. She handed several things to the redhead, who immediately started changing. Getting the other boy's attention took a little more work, but he was soon changing as well; she didn't change for obvious reasons. She wrapped a blanket around herself instead and stopped to stare at the bespectacled boy who had started pacing again.

They were both staring at him now, waiting for him to say something. He didn't, though; it was like he was lost in a whole other world. His face was set in concentration, his body tense. They could both feel the anger and frustration radiating off him.

The girl was never much for patience, though and soon, her voice was added to the noise of the breaking waves.

"Harry."

The boy kept pacing, kicking up sand around him. His companions shared a glance; the redhead shrugged.

"Harry, stop." He still didn't respond. The girl continued talking, not knowing what else to do. "Harry, talk to us. I know we can figure this out but just…say something."

He was still pacing but his steps were slower now. She took this as a good sign as she approached him. She settled a hand on his shoulder and turned him around to face her. He looked anywhere but her for a couple of seconds before looking her in the eyes.

"Hermione… I don't understand."

"I know."

"I was sure it was going to be there."

Hermione sighed. "I was too, Harry. You weren't wrong in thinking that."

They hadn't found a horcrux in Bellatrix's vault. They'd found other valuables, gold and silver, pearls and even some diamonds, but no horcrux. They'd made it pass the thieves' downfall and the dragon (a dragon!), all the way into the Lestrange vault. They'd achieved what some would consider impossible but it was all for nothing. To make matters worse, they hadn't been able to get the sword back from Griphook.

_We're worse than when we started._

Harry had been _so sure_. There had been no doubt in his mind; Bellatrix had made it obvious. He had thought of the possibility of her moving it but, ultimately, he had decided that she was too proud for that. Bellatrix would have thought her vault to be impenetrable. The sword had turned out to be a fake, the goblin said so. Why move it when nobody had a clue it was there?

Hermione had thought of the possibility as well but had ended in the same mind set as Harry. She knew the death eater was proud above anything else. She didn't question her power and thought herself above everybody else. But they had thought wrong and now, they both felt ridiculous. They had both thought of the possibility but had brushed it off.

Ron's voice cut through the silence. "It was worth a shot, mate."

Hermione felt Harry tense. "Yeah? You think so? Well guess what, Ron? It wasn't. I was wrong and now, we're worse off than before. We don't even have the bloody sword anymore."

He hadn't yelled but his words cut through Ron as if he had.

Hermione shot an apologetic glance at Ron before turning to Harry. "He's right, Harry." He opened his mouth to protest but Hermione cut him off. "No, listen to me. It _was_ worth a shot. We may have been wrong but at least now we know that it's not there. You would have regretted it more if we hadn't gone. We needed to be sure and now we are." She paused. "We may not have the sword anymore but we'll figure out another way."

Harry pulled away from her. "Another way, Hermione? There's already too little ways to destroy them! Do you remember how long it took the first time? Now, it'll probably take longer! How the bloody hell are we supposed to destroy them!"

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to reign in her frustration; she failed. "It doesn't matter how long it takes, what matters is that we'll find it! I know we will!"

"I don't know if you've noticed but we don't have all the bloody time in the world! He's getting stronger by the second and soon, nobody will be able to stop him!"

Ron stood between them, his mouth agape. It wasn't often that he got to witness Harry and Hermione fight; it was usually him and Hermione. He'd always thought that it would be a welcome respite but he was wrong. Compared to his quarrels with her, he felt like this was worse; it was even worse than him fighting with Harry. He felt like he lacked the necessary skills to mollify the situation, to make them both see reason. All he could do was stare at them and hope that something, _anything_, would come to him to make them stop.

"You think I don't know that? We all know, Harry! We're not blind!" She moved closer to him. "So we were wrong, so what? There's nothing we can do now except move on! We can't get mad every time we're wrong about something!"

"Oh that's rich, coming from you," he snapped.

Hermione looked like he had slapped her. "I beg your pardon? Yes, I don't like it when I'm wrong but I don't cry about it, unlike some! No, what _I _do is make sure that I'm right the next time!"

Harry opened his mouth to respond but Ron had finally had enough. "Oh, shut up, the pair of you!" He looked at Harry. "What's wrong with you? You're sounding like me! Look, mate, we know you're disappointed but we all are. We had all thought it was going to be there but Hermione's right. There's no point crying about it anymore. You're right too. We don't have a lot of time left so why are we wasting it yelling at each other?"

Harry looked away. _What the bloody hell is wrong with you? You're acting like a prick, picking a fight just to fight! You know they're right, so what the hell are you doing?_

Harry felt like an idiot. The whole time he was yelling at her, his mind had been screaming at him to shut up, telling him that she was right; that he was acting like a child. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and looked at Hermione.

She was still mad, that much was obvious but not as mad as before; she didn't look like she wanted to slap him anymore. "I'm sorry, Hermione." He looked at Ron.

"Ron-"

Ron waved his hand. "It's alright, mate, I know."

Harry walked towards Hermione. He had the urge to grab her hand, but he rested his hand on her shoulder instead. She didn't shy away from his gaze. "I shouldn't have said any of that. I'm an idiot and you're right. You're always right. I'm just—frustrated but I shouldn't take that out on either of you."

Her gaze remained hard for a moment but quickly softened. "You're not an idiot, at least not all the time."

Harry chuckled as Ron snorted. He looked at both of them, his face serious now. "Alright, I've wasted enough of our time. We need to figure out where the rest of the horcruxes are."

They both nodded.

"Yeah, but do you think we could talk about it tomorrow? I'm dead tired," said Ron.

Harry almost disagreed but he couldn't deny that he was tired as well. A good night's sleep would be better for all of them. He nodded as he said, "Yeah, that sounds good, Ron."

They walked back up to the cottage, the three of them yawning here and there. Ron went to Bill and Fleur's room to let them know they were in the cottage.

"I hope I don't see anything too nasty."

Harry snorted. Hermione said, "Honestly, Ron."

Ron made a 'what?' gesture with his hands. "They're married, Hermione, what do you expect?"

She only frowned in response.

Within minutes, Shell Cottage reverted back to its earlier conditions. The moonlight still made everything glow. The waves crashed against each other, again and again. No lights were seen inside the house. Everything was calm as the trio gave in to sleep.

###

"So if it wasn't in the vault, where else could it be?" asked Ron.

"I don't know but the only other place I can think of is Hogwarts," responded Harry. "That doesn't make it any easier, though. We don't even know what it looks like; what any of them look like, really."

"Well, maybe one of them, or all of them even, have to do with the Hogwarts' houses," Hermione said. "An artifact of Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw…I don't really see him being able to use anything related to Gryffindor. Only two of his possessions are really famous: the sorting hat and the sword."

"Do you know any famous artifacts from those houses?" Harry asked her.

Hermione shook her head, a frown on her face. "Hmmm, I do recall reading something related to Hufflepuff in _Hogwarts, a History_…" She quickly stood up and ran to her room, no doubt in search of said book.

Ron watched her go and said, "If Luna were here, we could ask her about Ravenclaw. I'm sure she would know something."

Harry nodded at Ron's words. According to Bill, Luna had left not long after the trio had. Fleur had wanted her to stay longer but Luna had politely refused. She needed to get back to Hogwarts to help.

"She may be a bit loony, but there's no denying her courage," Bill had said earlier that morning.

Hermione returned before either of them could say anything else.

She had a triumphant smile on her face. "Helga Hufflepuff had a golden cup, one that she valued very much. It doesn't mention much more than that but if it's anything from her house, it's probably that."

"Well, there were loads of golden cups in that vault," said Ron.

Harry shook his head. "If it had been there, I would have felt it." He still couldn't fully explain why he could do that but he chalked it up to this connection he had to Voldemort. If it helped them though, he wasn't about to question it.

He looked at Hermione, ready to ask her another question but stopped at the look on her face. She was looking at him with a frown on her face. "What?"

She jumped slightly. "No, nothing. Just thinking what the other horcruxes might be." She quickly looked away from him and focused on her book again. Harry frowned slightly but let it go.

"There isn't much about Ravenclaw's possessions in here, at least not enough to pinpoint one specific- oh my god!" Hermione looked surprised to say the least. Her eyes were wide, her mouth was agape, and her eyebrows had shot up toward her hair line. She looked at Harry but said nothing, the surprised look never leaving her face.

Harry and Ron cast confused looks at each other before looking at Hermione, who was still paralyzed with shock.

"What? Hermione, what is it?" Harry urgently asked.

"Well, don't just stand there blubbering like a fish! Tell us!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione quickly glared at Ron before saying, "Professor Snape!"

Harry and Ron only looked more confused than before. Hermione huffed. "Oh, honestly! Don't you two remember what Griphook said to us before we left?"

It didn't take long for Harry to catch on to what she was saying. "About Snape taking the real sword?"

Hermione nodded vigorously. "What if that wasn't the only thing he took?"

Harry's mind reeled as Ron said, "Hold on, are you saying that Snape took the horcrux from that vault? That's crazy!"

"Yes, it is, because if that is what happened, then that means that Snape knows about the horcruxes!" She looked at Harry. "He knows Harry!"

Harry shook his head. "But how? Nobody knows about them except us, Dumbledore, and You-Know-Who. How would Snape find out about that?"

Harry felt weak calling Voldemort by his nickname but once things had calmed down Ron had remembered something crucial: Voldemort was using his own name as an attack. He had somehow triggered his name to find anybody who dared speak it aloud. A lot of people had been found that way, but it didn't take long to figure out how Voldemort was doing it. This had shaken Harry more than he thought it would. How many times had that name been on the tip of his tongue when Ron was gone? He couldn't bring himself to think of what would have happened if he had said it.

"Yeah, Snape's brilliant and all but he's not Dumbledore," stated Ron.

"Well, of course not. He couldn't have gotten the information from You-Know-Who. That's information he wouldn't trust anybody with. Giving Bellatrix one of them to protect probably didn't bring much danger; she would never question one of his orders. She probably felt more honored than anything else. It obviously wasn't us and that only leaves one person…" A worried expression settled on her face as she looked at Harry.

Harry couldn't believe it. "Dumbledore? You think Dumbledore told Snape about the horcruxes?"

"Harry, think about it. Dumbledore _trusted_ Snape. There must have been moments during Dumbledore's own search where even he required some help."

Harry shook his head as he stood up. "Yeah, he trusted Snape but I don't think he trusted him enough to tell him about something so dangerous."

"Harry, Snape took the sword out of the vault; that much we know for sure. Then the sword magically appears out of nowhere once we realized what we could use it for. Doesn't that seem too much of a coincidence to you? He took it out of the vault to help us, just like he took the horcrux out. He knows, Harry, I'm sure of it."

"Have you forgotten something, Hermione? Snape _killed_ Dumbledore. He was never on Dumbledore's side! He just pretended until his moment came. So why would he do anything to help us?" Harry could feel the frustration growing in him.

Hermione sensed it too but he needed to hear this. "Dumbledore had a reason for trusting Snape. It's like Ron said: Snape is not as brilliant as Dumbledore. He wasn't an idiot, Harry. Do you think he wouldn't have known if Snape was betraying him?"

Harry glared at her. "I'm not saying he was an idiot but sometimes Dumbledore could be a little too trusting of people."

"Yes, I agree but even Dumbledore must have had his limits."

Harry didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe it; he just _couldn't. _He had been there when Snape had killed Dumbledore in cold blood. He never saw any remorse in the man's eyes as he stared at the headmaster.

"Hang on a minute. Let's say Snape did take the horcrux out; how would he have know what it was? If Dumbledore told him, he can't have known more than us," said Ron.

"Snape isn't as brilliant as Dumbledore but he is smarter than us, Ron," answered Hermione.

Ron couldn't believe it either. "This is mad! Snape has hated Harry ever since his first day at Hogwarts. Why would he ever help him in anything?"

"I don't have any other answer than to help Dumbledore." She turned to look at Harry. "I know this sounds crazy, Harry. Trust me, I know, but in a weird way, it makes sense."

_I saw him kill Dumbledore. I _saw_ him_. His mind answered back._ Maybe you don't want to believe it because you don't want to have any reason to feel grateful towards him. Hating him is so much easier to you._ He frowned.

"Harry?"

He looked up at her. The worried expression had returned. He sighed and said, "I don't know, Hermione."

Silence overtook them then. None of them could believe this turn of events. Hermione felt a little crazy herself for saying it but deep down, she knew it was true. She could only imagine the war being waged in Harry's mind at the moment.

Hesitantly, Ron spoke up, "Well, if this is true, we know our next location then."

Hermione gravely nodded as Harry quietly said, "Hogwarts."

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><p><strong>And there it is. So what do you guys think? I'm sure some of you were expecting the break in to Gringotts bank. That's what I had been planning but then this came to me and I went with it instead. Oh and the Voldemort's name thing. I remember that was in the book and I felt like I need to explain why Harry keeps calling Voldemort 'You Know Who'. It felt weird not having an explanation because Harry always uses Voldemort so I just felt like I needed to state it even though most of you probably guessed why. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. <strong>

**Thanks for reading :) Reviews are awesome!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys, sorry for the wait. I know I warned you guys in the last chapter but I still feel kind of bad. I wanna say this is kind of a longer chapter (and it kind of is) but I still feel bad. I'm going to start the next chapter soon (probably later on today) so I'll try to get that to you guys soon. I am going to keep the warning up about the consistency with which I post though. It's almost time for midterms (something I absolutely hate about being on the quarter system) but I will try and work on the story. I probably will even when I shouldn't just because I can't help it sometimes lol. I might also be getting a job (fingers crossed!) but I'm sure I'll still have time to write and if not, I'll make the time. **

**Anyway, here's the newest chapter. I'm kind of nervous to hear your reactions. I hope you guys like it :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned this, I wouldn't be a poor college student.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

She found him sitting in front of the waves in the spot that had quickly become his.

Hermione bit her lip._ Wouldn't he have gone to a different place if he didn't want to be found?_

She knew he probably wanted to be alone. There were moments where she felt guilty for always going to him at times like these; times when he wanted to just be. She couldn't help it, though. Worrying about Harry had become a part of her; she felt like she'd been doing it forever and she was sure it would continue for the rest of her life. It was something that she was completely fine with.

It was becoming harder and harder to contain her feelings for him. Being around him all the time was taking its toll on her emotions; she knew she would never leave him, though, no matter what her emotional state might be. Dark thoughts would enter her mind at times, urging her to take advantage of the time they had left, telling her that they might not live to see the end of this. It was during those times that she was weakest, where telling him had been at the tip of her tongue.

Something always pulled her back, though. She assumed it was the more logical side of her; a part of her knew it was actually her weaker side. She was still afraid of what his reaction might be. She was past the point of thinking that he didn't have feelings for her; she was sure there was something there for him too. Still, she was afraid. Afraid that he would push her away, that he would use the excuse of protecting her to keep them apart. She'd actually had nightmares about it, something that made her feel ridiculous.

She was Hermione Granger: intelligent and highly rational. Worrying over troubles of the heart, over silly emotions, was something she would have scoffed at an earlier age. Yes, she was Hermione Granger, but she was also Hermione: insecure and vulnerable. He was Harry, the boy who risked his life for a girl he barely knew when he was only eleven, a girl who at times annoyed him. The boy she considered to be her closest friend, her first friend. The boy she would do anything for, go anywhere for. The boy she was scared to lose, who would end her life if his did. The boy who would do anything to protect her, even if it meant losing his own life.

What she felt for him scared her. She felt like she was too young to be experiencing something as strong as this. Didn't this usually happen later on in life, when she would be more emotionally capable of handling it? _Handle it? Are you crazy? No one can handle love, no matter how old they are._ Hermione shook her head. Normally, she liked to think things through, to figure everything out. Not this, though; it hurt her mind thinking about it. Deep down, she knew it was simple. It was three words; three short and simple words. But it was far from simple. She couldn't say them; she couldn't even think them.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me? Or are you going to do what you always do?"

She jumped slightly. He wasn't looking at her. She sighed and said, "What do you want me to do, Harry?"

Harry looked at her then, surprise in his eyes. He hadn't been expecting that. She sounded tired. _Well, of course she's tired. She has to deal with you and your never ending bouts of moodiness. _

She didn't wait for his answer and sat down next to him, keeping a safe distance this time. "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, so you don't know?" he said, trying to lighten the mood.

She gave him a look but it worked slightly.

He sighs and looks at the waves again. "I just can't believe it, Hermione. I _can't_." He paused, thinking that Hermione would say something then but was met with silence; she wanted him to get it out. "I know you think it makes sense but…you weren't there. There was no remorse in his eyes, no hesitation. Why would he do anything for the man he killed?"

Hermione remained silent for a moment, thinking about her next words thoroughly. Softly, she said, "I know that you don't want to believe it, Harry. Snape did something unforgiveable and you will always hate him for that. You're stubborn like that." She looked at him, a small smile on her face. "But there's something you have to accept: Dumbledore _trusted_ Snape. You may not understand why but he did; a lot of people didn't understand it but that doesn't make it any less true. Dumbledore had his reasons, Harry." She paused. "You trusted Dumbledore through everything; trust him in this."

At his silence, she added, "And hey, I could be wrong you know."

Harry smiled wistfully. "You're never wrong. It's scary really...especially in moments like this."

"Well, it's not something that you really have to think about. Now we have to think about getting to Hogwarts and finding the remaining horcruxes." _How is that any better, Granger?_

Harry snorted. "Yeah, because thinking about that is so much better."

He looked at her then and almost gasped. She looked so beautiful. The sun was starting to set, the light casting a warm glow on her features. Her brown hair had a golden hue to it, making it seem like it was shining. Her eyes were an even warmer chocolate brown. He could see how her eyelashes softly touched her skin every time she blinked. The freckles that adorned her nose were even more noticeable now. He had never really thought about her freckles but now that he saw them, he couldn't believe he hadn't; they were adorable. His eyes travelled down to her lips, slightly parted, pink and plump.

_Merlin…_

She looked at him and nearly gasped as well. His gaze was so intense. His green eyes had gone dark, like emerald. His hair, as messy as ever, was shining in the light, some of it falling over his forehead. It was happening again, like that night in the tent. She couldn't look away. If she didn't look away soon…

_Would it be so bad to give in?_

She never got to find out. Someone cleared their throat behind them, making them jump apart. They turned simultaneously to face an angry looking Ron.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked as they both stood up.

"Of course not," Harry and Hermione quickly answered.

"Is that so? That's not what it looked like to me."

They could tell that he was trying to control his anger. His face was reddening and his hands were clenched at his sides.

Harry sighed. "Ron, we were just talking."

"I doubt that. Normal people use their mouths to talk. You two were just staring at each other," he said, his anger becoming more and more apparent with every word.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She wanted to snap at him to stop being ridiculous but she didn't have the energy to lie to him either.

Harry was feeling slightly different. He didn't want to lie to Ron. A part of him was scared that Ron would leave again. He felt stupid for feeling this but it was true. He had already experienced what it felt like not to have his best friend beside him; he didn't want to go through that again. He didn't want to tell Ron the truth, though, whatever that was.

Ron couldn't take their silence anymore. "Look, I'm not an idiot okay? I've noticed what's been going on between you two. How you seem even closer than before. You think I haven't noticed the looks you two share? I'm not blind! Now you're going to tell me that I'm just imagining things? That what I've been seeing isn't true?"

"Ron, there's nothing going on. Yes, we may be closer than before but that's because we spent months alone together. We were alone, Ron, with no one to depend on but each other," Hermione said.

Harry nodded and said, "Yeah, I mean she's like a sister to me, Ron. You know that." The words hadn't even left his mouth before he realized his mistake. He cringed on the inside and didn't dare look at Hermione.

The words were like a knife in her stomach. Like a sister? Something like devastation was coursing through her before anger quickly took its place. _Like a sister!_ Her emotions were raging inside of her as she fought to control her features. She was glad that she didn't immediately glare at him. She could see from the corner of her eye that he was trying his hardest not to look at her.

Ron looked appeased for a moment before disbelief crossed his face. "Like a sister? You don't even have a sister! How would you know what that felt like?"

Hermione redirected her anger at Ron. "I can't believe you're doing this again! I thought you were changing but apparently you haven't gotten over your stupid jealousy!"

Ron glared at her. "Well, what do you expect me to do? I'm not just going to stand by while some other bloke tries to get at you! Just because I've come to terms with us not being together doesn't mean that I don't have feelings for you anymore!"

"Well, that's just something you're going to have to deal with then! I'm not going to stop my romantic life just because you don't like seeing other guys around me!" she yelled back.

"Other guys are fine but Harry? How can I possibly stand by while my best mate tries to get the girl I like?" he asked.

"Fortunately for you, Ronald, that's not something you have to worry about," Hermione snapped before quickly returning to the house.

Harry watched her go, wishing that he could follow her; to explain that what he said was a lie, something stupid said to appease his best friend. He couldn't though, not while Ron was staring daggers at him.

"Ron-" he started.

"You can't do this," interrupted Ron.

"Do what?"

"Don't play daft with me, Harry. You know exactly what I'm talking about." He paused. "She still means a lot to me. Thinking about her with some other bloke…it hurts. Thinking about her with you? I-I can't."

_He left you both. He doesn't deserve anything from you. _

Harry shook his head. "You heard her, Ron. There's nothing going on between us."

It was Ron's turn to shake his head. "I don't believe you."

Anger flared within Harry. "Why are you so intent on fighting?"

"On fighting? No, that's not what I'm intent on. I want the _truth_, Harry."

"How many more times do I need to tell you? There's nothing going on between us!" His anger was exploding inside him. His anger at Ron for standing in the way, at himself for feeling what he felt, even at Hermione for making him feel that way, something he realized was ridiculous even in his present state of mind. "You left, Ron! You heard Hermione! We didn't have anybody but each other! Of course we got closer! How could we not with nobody else around?"

Ron didn't appear to be listening, however. "What about Ginny? She's back at Hogwarts, waiting for you and what are you doing? Going after another guy's girl!"

Harry glared at him, trying to rein in his anger. He felt some guilt as well; Ron's words were hitting close to home. "I don't know what you want me to tell you, Ron. There's nothing going on between us. You left us but even then we wouldn't have done that to you."

Ron had the decency to look ashamed at this. The anger was still there, though: his fists were still clenched at his side and his face was still slightly red. Harry wished that he could tell Ron but even after everything, he still couldn't do that to his best friend. Plus, he was sure that whatever chance he had with Hermione was probably gone now because of that stupid line of his.

Ron let out a deep breath and looked at Harry, something like defeat on his face. "I know you have feelings for her."

Harry stared blankly at him. "What?"

Ron lowered his eyes. "I kept trying to convince myself that it wasn't true. That you two were just acting like you usually do but the more time I spent trying to convince myself, the more I saw that it was true." He looked at Harry again. "You look at her differently now. Like you've realized something you should have known all along."

Harry didn't know what to say. He knew that Ron usually didn't pay attention to most things that weren't Quidditch or food, so his perception of Harry since his return was pretty surprising.

Ron sighed. "Well, at least you're not denying it. That's got to mean I'm not completely daft doesn't it?"

Harry gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry, Ron."

He shook his head. "It was only a matter of time. Hermione is a great girl; annoying sometimes but amazing nonetheless. I'm surprised it took you this long."

Harry was honestly baffled by Ron's reaction. He had expected punches and curse words when he found out. This Ron was not the one Harry had been expecting at all. It didn't set him completely at ease, though; there was still plenty of time for the swings to be thrown.

"I thought you were going to punch me when you found out."

"Trust me, I really want to; I almost did earlier. What good would it do, though? It wouldn't make anything better. It wouldn't make you not have feelings for her or help me get her back. It would just hurt my hand and your nose," he said.

Harry contemplated his words for a moment. "If it would make you feel better, you could punch me. I know I would want to do the same if I were in your situation."

For a moment, Ron looked like he would take Harry's request but it soon passed. "Maybe later."

Harry nodded, knowing that he would probably let Ron do it, even later. He felt like it was the least he could do. Despite knowing that Ron screwed things up with Hermione on his own, he still felt guilty for having these feelings. He wasn't looking forward to it, though.

"This doesn't mean anything though, Ron. Just because I have feelings for her doesn't mean that anything is going to happen between us."

Ron shook his head. "I wish I could believe that but sooner or later, Harry, it's going to happen." He didn't look at all happy at the prospect.

Harry didn't have anything to say to that. Ron gave him one final look before walking off, heading away from the house.

Harry watched as he walked away, wondering whether he should go to Hermione and try to explain what he said. _She'd probably hex you into the next millennium._ He'd give her some time before talking to her. He hoped he could fix things with her; having Hermione mad at him was one of his least favorite things.

He sighed and plopped himself down again, amazed at how quickly things could go down the toilet.

###

Hermione was still fuming several hours later. It was now nearing midnight but Hermione couldn't get over Harry's words. _She's like a sister to me…_

Those words kept replaying in her mind over and over again like a broken record. Logical Hermione just wanted to snap out of it. She knew that Harry probably said it to appease Ron but it still made her angry. The fact that he said it at all was what irked her to no end. It was one thing to say that nothing was going on between them but it was something else to say that she was like a sister, the least romantic thing ever.

"Stupid boys," she muttered as she lay in bed. "Don't they ever think?"

They had all had dinner earlier and to say that it was an awkward affair was an understatement. Hermione was shocked that Ron had appeared at all but she reasoned that his hunger had probably won out; everyone knew that Ron was not one to miss the opportunity to eat. Bill and Fleur had noticed the tension between the three friends and attempted to make the mood lighter throughout the meal but failed. Ron didn't speak at all, choosing to gulf his food down as quickly as possible before excusing himself to his room. Harry tried to be polite and join in on the small talk but it didn't take long before he gave up and just resigned to eat in silence. Hermione had attempted to do the same but it wasn't long before she too gave up. It was probably the quickest meal any of them had had in a while.

Now she was lying in her room, just like everybody else in the house. The tension was too great to be around anybody right now. She had tried going to sleep several times but her mind was too preoccupied to rest. She knew there was only one way that she would be able to get some rest but she didn't want to talk to him. It was childish but didn't she deserve to be childish sometimes? Harry did it all the time.

_Oh, low blow, Granger._

She knew she would have to talk to him soon, though; they still had a mission to complete, something that made all of this seem even more ridiculous. Unimaginable danger was looming over all of them and here she was worrying about some stupid words some stupid boy said.

A knock suddenly interrupted her thoughts. She cursed herself as her heart began to race. She gave herself a couple of seconds to calm down before opening the door.

A sheepish looking Harry stood on the other side. He was finding it hard to look at her; her face was set in a glare, as if daring him to say anything.

"Having trouble sleeping too?" he asked.

"Why should you care?"

He looked away, knowing she didn't really mean it; she was just mad at him. He remained quiet, trying to find the right words to say but failing.

"Is there a reason why you're here or did you just come this late at night to bother me?" Hermione knew she was being a little too rude but she was finding it hard to care; she just couldn't help it.

Harry's head snapped up, a hint of anger in his eyes. "Why don't we go outside? I don't want to wake anybody up."

"Why should I go anywhere with you right now?" she asked.

Harry tried not to glare at her. "Because you know that we need to talk."

Hermione sighed. _Better get this over with, Granger._ Despite her anger, Hermione's stomach was doing somersaults, betraying her nervousness.

Harry led the way out of the house, surprising Hermione when he didn't take them to the familiar spot. He walked a little farther away, in case either of them started shouting.

Both of them were more nervous than they had been in a while. They knew that no matter what was said, this was going to be an important talk. Their feelings towards each other were finally, maybe, going to be said. Hermione could barely stand the way her stomach was churning.

Harry finally stopped and turned to face her. She could see that he was trying hard not to show what he really felt at the moment, but she wasn't fooled; he was just as nervous as her.

He cleared his throat, forcing himself to look at her. "Look Hermione, what I said before…I-I don't know why I said it. Well, I do but- I-I didn't mean it. I just- I just wanted to make Ron feel better."

Hermione stared at him, willing him to say what she'd been wanting to hear for what felt like forever now. Goosebumps covered her flesh and somewhere in the back of her mind she scolded herself for not thinking to bring a sweater.

"Ron's right, I don't know what it's like to have a sister so why would I say that about you? To be honest, I don't really know how to describe what you are to me. Best friend seems too weak of a description. There are other words but…I don't know." He looked away. "I'm- I'm just sorry I said it."

Hermione tried not to feel disappointed when he stayed quiet. She waited a little more before realizing that was all he was going to say. Anger flared inside her again.

"Is that all?"

Hesitantly, he looked at her. "What else do you want me to say?" _Really Potter? You're going with the daft route?_

"I think you know perfectly well what I want."

"Hermione, don't-"

She'd had enough. "Don't what, Harry? You don't want me to talk about the huge, pink elephant in the room?"

He looked at her with pleading eyes. "We can't."

"Why? Why can't we, Harry?"

Harry clenched his jaw, trying to stem his anger. "You know why."

Hermione shook her head. "Actually, no I don't. Why don't you enlighten me?"

He stared at her in disbelief. He thought for a couple of seconds before shaking his head. "Why are you being so difficult right now?"

"Difficult? You think this is difficult? Try putting up with two stubborn, teenage boys. _That's _difficult." She glared at him. "Why can't I be difficult? I have to deal with others being that way all the time."

Harry sighed. What could he say to that when he knew it was true? His shoulders sagged with defeat as he looked at her. "Hermione, we can't do this; not now."

"You still haven't told me why."

"Because there's a bloody war going on, that's why!" he snapped. "Don't act like you don't know. You know perfectly well why we can't so don't act like this is all just me making up stuff."

"There you go again with that. Do you think I'm blind or something? Don't you think I feel ridiculous worrying about this stuff when there's a war going on around us? Because I do, Harry but I just… there are moments where I can't deal with it."

Harry sighed. "I know, Hermione but there are moments where we just have to deal with it. There are more important things to think about right now."

Hermione glared at him again. She stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "You're scared."

Harry returned the glare. "And you're not? You can't blame me for feeling something you feel too."

"At least I'm trying to move forward with this," she snapped. "You just want to stay in the same place!"

"Is that so bad? You're always scolding me for being too reckless and now that I'm being cautious, you're questioning that too!"

Hermione's glare deepened. "Don't you dare throw that back at me! You know that this is completely different!"

"How? The danger is still there! Don't you see it?" he yelled.

"What's one more dangerous thing on the list?"

He looked at her like she was crazy. "That's the most ridiculous thing you've ever said."

"Yeah, well I'm allowed to be ridiculous sometimes don't you think?" She tried to act like his words hadn't stung her but she could feel them digging into her skin.

Harry could see that his words had hurt her. He rubbed his hand across his face, making his weariness clear. "Lately, I feel like all we've been doing is fighting. I don't know how Ron is able to fight with you so often." He looked at her. "I'm sorry that I said you were like a sister but there's plenty of time to talk about this later; when things won't feel so pressured or rushed."

Hermione wanted to scream at him; hurt him for making her feel this way. She was tired, though; she didn't want to fight with him either. "What if there is no later?"

He just looked at her, saying nothing.

"What then, Harry?" she said softly.

His gaze was intense. "You will have a later, Hermione and even more after that. I don't care what I have to do to make that come true."

He walked away from her but before he was out of her sight, she stopped him.

"What about your later, Harry?"

He froze and slowly turned to look at her. "I'll worry about that when the time comes."

He gave her one last look before walking back to the house, leaving a very cold Hermione behind him.

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><p><strong>I'm sorry! I know, I know. There I go again, pushing the inevitable back one more time but it just still didn't feel right to me. Trust me, though, the moment is coming and soon! I don't know how much more chapters there will be, seeing as how there isn't much left to the story; canon wise anyway. We'll just have to wait and see. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it and don't hate me too much, yeah? Please?<strong>

**Reviews are like cookies: I LOVE THEM.**

**Thanks for reading :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait but stuff got kind of busy with school and work. I haven't started working on the next chapter yet but I will soon.**

**I hope you guys like it :)**

**Disclaimer: It still doesn't belong to me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

Despite the personal problems permeating the group, all three of them knew that they couldn't waste any more time. Harry didn't want to head into the unknown while still having issues with his best friends but it didn't seem like any of those issues were going to be easy fixes. The three of them were amiable enough, even having some normal conversations but it wasn't long before they lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Harry did know one thing, though: issues or not, he could still trust them with his life. This was something they could all agree upon, making the idea of facing the unknown less bleak.

There was no question what their next step was: Hogwarts. None of them knew exactly what they would be returning to; nothing was certain for them anymore. There was no other choice, though; the remaining Horcruxes had to be at Hogwarts.

After more pressing from Hermione, Harry had grudgingly agreed that Snape might not be what he seemed. He still wasn't willing to trust anything the man did, though.

The afternoon before they headed back to Hogwarts found the trio sitting in the living room, all of them trying to ignore the awkward silence. Harry spent most of his time trying not to look too much at Hermione. Ron would sometimes cast a cautious look on them, almost as if he were scared that they were going to start snogging each other at any second. Hermione would sometimes glare at him but she ignored these looks for the most part; she had to admit that he wasn't being as horrible as she had imagined. At least he was still talking to them, helping them plan their next steps as usual.

Harry's voice cut through the silence. "So are you guys ready?"

Ron snorted. "What do you think?"

Harry grimaced. "Yeah, stupid question, I know."

"So what exactly are we doing once we get there?" asked Ron.

"Well, I was thinking we should find Luna and ask her if there's any Ravenclaw artifact she knows about," Harry said. "And maybe go to Dumbledore's office to look for the cup. If Snape took it out of the vault, it might be there."

"We should also go to the Chamber of Secrets."

Harry and Ron both looked at Hermione and said,

"The Chamber of Secrets?"

"Why?"

Hermione tried not to roll her eyes. "We don't have the sword anymore, so we need something else to destroy the Horcruxes."

What she was trying to tell them quickly dawned on Harry. "You think the basilisk is still down there?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm sure the bones are still there and all we need are the teeth."

Harry nodded. Before any of them could say anything else, Bill walked in.

"Hey, Ron could you come help me with something?"

"Uh…" He cast a weary look at his friends before sighing. "Yeah, sure."

The tension in the air immediately thickened as the brothers left the room. Both Harry and Hermione tried to look anywhere but each other, but seeing as how the living room wasn't that big, that was a pretty hard thing to do.

_Just say something, you idiot. This is still Hermione, your best friend._

_I mean really, Granger, you've known him nearly all of your life. It can't be that hard to find something to say._

"So…"

"Um-"

They stopped and stared. Chuckles filled the silence as they continued to stare at each other.

"We're being ridiculous aren't we?" she asked.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, just a bit." Hermione snorted. "Okay, a lot."

They continued to smile at each other but as the seconds passed, those soon disappeared. There was so much they both needed to say but couldn't. Hermione honestly didn't know how much more she could take. Harry wanted to just forget their surroundings and give in, but he knew that wouldn't work. Real life wasn't going to stop for him.

"Harry…" she started.

"Let's just get through this, yeah?" he said. "Everything will be better once this is all over."

The ifs and maybes hung in the air, weighing them down as usual, but they both chose to ignore them; they needed something to hope for.

She reached over from where she was sitting and settled her hand over his. "We will get through this, Harry, I know we will."

She said it with so much conviction that he almost believed her. He nodded, anyway, and smiled. He slipped his hand out from under hers as footsteps neared the door, trying to ignore the slight frown on Hermione's face.

He stood up as Ron entered and said, "We should start getting ready. I want to leave as soon as night falls."

Brief looks of hesitation passed over Ron and Hermione's faces before determination took their place.

The time to return to Hogwarts had finally come.

####

Hogsmeade had never seemed gloomier.

The trio had spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for their imminent departure and nightfall had arrived before they knew it. No time was wasted before they apparated to the small town.

Everything was dark in the usually welcoming town. Curtains were drawn everywhere and no one was in sight. It wasn't hard to guess why. None of them were sure what was happening at Hogwarts, but they were sure it wasn't anything good.

"It's too quiet," whispered Ron.

Harry and Hermione nodded as they looked around. Hermione jumped and reached into her bag, quickly throwing Harry's invisibility cloak over them. Harry cursed himself for not immediately doing that in the first place; now was not the time for mistakes.

The walk through the town was slow. The last time the cloak was used, it was only Harry and Hermione and that had been a tight fit. With Ron's lanky frame, Harry was surprised the cloak was able to cover them at all. Hermione, who was squished in the middle, was just happy that Ron wasn't treading on her feet as he usually did.

Nobody crossed their path as they continued their walk towards the school and it wasn't long before the school gates became visible. Instead of feeling relief, however, all Harry felt was a sense of dread and by the looks on his friends faces, he was pretty sure they felt the same. Something didn't feel right to any of them.

"Is that really your plan? Just going to go through the main gates of Hogwarts?"

They froze. How could somebody be talking to them when they were invisible?

"I've heard of your invisibility cloak, Mr. Potter," the gruff voice said. "Now, if you'd actually like to get inside the school I suggest you come with me."

The three of them were staring into the shadows of a building not too far from them. Nothing was visible but they were sure that's where the voice was coming from. Harry looked at Hermione, who was biting her lip. He looked at Ron, who could only shrug. He was sure the man meant them no harm or else he would have done something already but trusting someone in these circumstances didn't come easily.

"I know you don't know who I am or what my intentions are but if you come with me, I will tell you everything you need to know."

Hermione glanced at Harry and nodded when he looked at her. They slowly walked towards the voice, which started moving away as they neared. They could see his dark outline walking through a gate before stopping at a nearly invisible door. He quickly ushered them down some stairs and into a lighted room. They hesitated a bit before taking the cloak off. The room wasn't big but there was room for a fireplace and table. A big painting depicting a young, blonde girl hung above the fireplace. The man walked down the stairs to stand in front of them.

All three of them noticed at the same time. Hermione tried not to gasp but she was sure her surprise was written all over her face. Ron's face was covered in confusion. Harry had only one thought.

_Dumbledore…_

Harry quickly recovered; a thought he couldn't quite place was beginning to form in the back of his mind. "Who are you?"

The man smirked. "What, you're not even going to guess?"

Realization hit Harry like a ton of bricks; he couldn't believe he hadn't realized it right away. "Your eye! It's your eye that I've been seeing in the mirror!"

The man gave a small nod towards a square mirror hanging on the wall. Harry walked towards it as he took out his shard of mirror and saw that it was broken near the corner. Harry lifted his hand; it fit perfectly. His eyebrows furrowed. "Where did you get this?" The man remained quiet. "This was Sirius' mirror. Where did you get it?" he asked loudly.

"Mundungus Fletcher."

Harry gritted his teeth, trying to control his anger.

Hermione interrupted before things became too heated. "You're Dumbledore's brother aren't you?" She paused. "Abeforth Dumbledore?"

"Bet he probably never told you about me did he? He was never one to talk about his family…never seemed to have the time," he muttered. "Although, why would anybody care about Albus' brother? He was shining well enough on his own."

It was clear from his tone that this Dumbledore was not as easy going as the former headmaster. While the man shared the same blue eyes as his brother, the twinkling that was usually present in Dumbledore's eyes was missing. He appeared gruff where Dumbledore was refined. It didn't take much time with this Dumbledore to see how the brothers might have disagreed on things.

"Look I know you had problems with your brother but we don't have time for that right now. You said you could get us into the castle; we need to get into the castle tonight," said Harry.

The older man scowled.

"Please, we would really appreciate it," said Hermione.

Abeforth looked away from Harry and walked towards the painting. He nodded to the girl, who nodded in return. She turned around and slowly walked away. The other Dumbledore walked away but before he left Hermione said, "Thank you. For everything."

He only gave a small nod before disappearing.

Hermione turned to Harry. "You shouldn't have treated him like that. He did save our lives you know."

"That was Sirius' mirror," Harry said.

"Yes, a mirror that he bought from Mundungus. He didn't steal it from Sirius himself, Harry."

He turned away; he didn't want to be reprimanded right now, least of all by Hermione. They all turned to look at the painting as the girl was returning. Panic seized Harry when he realized she wasn't alone.

"Who is that?" asked Ron worriedly.

"It looks like-" but the portrait swung open before Hermione could finish.

"Neville!" exclaimed the trio.

"Well aren't you guys a sight for sore eyes?" said Neville with a smile.

The pudgy, blubbering boy was gone. Neville towered over all of them now, even Ron. The baby fat was gone, giving way to defined features. Stubble covered his chin but that wasn't the only thing covering his face. Bruises and cuts could be seen here and there on the young man's face, revealing more of what the atmosphere was like inside Hogwarts.

Bruises or not, the trio were really happy to see a familiar face.

"Well come on, we should head back."

The trio climbed into the portrait hole and began following Neville down a long tunnel.

"How has everything been, Neville?" asked Harry.

Neville stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "It's been tough, to be honest. The new headmaster hasn't been going easy on us at all. Most of the staff is now occupied by Death Eaters, though there are still some of the old teachers; didn't want to leave the students, I guess."

"How many students are there?" Hermione asked.

"Not many. There are less than 300 for sure." He paused. "I'm surprised anybody returned at all, actually."

They fell silent as they continued walking. The tunnel was narrow and dank with little light. It wasn't long before it began to slope upwards, the ground leveling out.

Ron broke the silence. "Where does this end?"

"You'll see."

Neville slowed down and finally stopped. He gave a slight push, flooding them with light from the other side as the portrait swung open.

"Hey you lot, look who's here!" Neville said as he stepped out of the portrait hole.

Instant cheers were heard as Harry came into view.

"It's Harry!"

"Harry!"

"You're back!"

Harry quickly realized they were in the Room of Requirement. The room had expanded to fill the many occupants now circled around the four of them. Sleeping bags littered the floor and there were several hammocks tied up here and there. Trunks full of various things were scattered around the room. Harry wasn't sure how many students were in here but it had to be close to one hundred.

Several people came up to them to shake their hands, pat them on the back or give them hugs. Harry noticed a particularly embarrassed Ron hugging a dreamy looking Luna. He tried not to grin as he continued to greet his fellow students.

As things began to settle down, Dean Thomas' voice was heard over the crowd. "Where have you guys been?"

Harry looked at his best friends. "Oh you know, around."

Dean gave him a strange look but dropped it. Neville quickly jumped in.

"So what's the plan? What do we do now?"

"We actually need to find several things." He paused. "Do any of you know of anything related to Ravenclaw? Like an antique or something like that?"

The students fell into silence. As they had suspected, Luna spoke up first. "Rowena Ravenclaw used to own a diadem."

"A what?" asked Ron.

"It's a sort of crown but it's been lost for ages. No one alive knows where it is."

Heads turned quickly when a bang was heard near the door. People began to mutter and part as someone moved towards them. It didn't take long for Harry to spot the red hair.

Hermione's stomach dropped. She had been expecting this moment and dreading it completely.

"Harry," gasped Ginny.

This was a scene Harry had replayed in his mind over and over again not too long ago. There were certain things he had expected to feel, to say. Not too long ago, he had been anticipating this moment with great passion. Things were different now. He hadn't really known what to expect but one thing was for sure: he didn't feel anything. He used to feel a certain way when he saw Ginny but that feeling was gone now. He was happy she was okay but that's as far as his feelings went. It was a relief, really; he wouldn't have known what to do if his old expectations had occurred.

It was because of these thoughts that he weakly replied, "Hey."

Hermione was trying really hard not to be jealous. They had never discussed Ginny—_we never really discussed_ anything—but she had had an idea of where things stood between them, at least on his end. Now, she wasn't so sure. Harry had been away from her for months, perhaps affecting what he felt for her, but now that she was in front of him, things probably felt different for him.

They continued to stare at each other before Neville shuffled next to him. Ginny quickly looked at him before dropping her eyes. Ron looked at Harry, then at Hermione and shook his head.

She wasn't going to think about this, not now.

Harry averted his eyes from the red head and tried not to look at Hermione. He had felt her eyes on him the entire time he had stared at Ginny.

He cleared his throat before turning back to Luna. "Is there anything else you know about the diadem?"

She thought for a moment. "No, but I know someone who might."

Harry nodded as a bell rang off, piercing what felt like the entire castle.

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"The students are being called to the Great Hall," answered Neville.

"At this time of night?" asked Hermione.

Neville's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, it can't be anything good." He looked at Harry. "If there's stuff you need to find, you better start looking. They might know you're here."

Harry nodded. "Luna, come with us, yeah?"

The blond nodded as they quickly headed towards the door. Everyone was busy getting ready around them, putting on their school robes and quickly shuffling out of the room. Some students stayed behind, mostly members of the DA. They were all circled around Neville and Ginny, listening to him say something.

Before Harry and his friends left, Neville called out to them. "Hey Harry, is there anything you need us to do?"

Harry thought for a moment before saying, "Just stay safe."

He nodded. "You too."

"Alright Luna, who's this someone you think might know something about Ravenclaw's diadem?" Harry said, as they left the room.

"I can take you to her," she said.

Harry only nodded and Luna quickly set off at a brisk pace. All four of them were on the alert, ready to stun anyone who came their way.

Harry's nerves were on fire. Walking around the halls without the invisibility cloak over them was dangerous but there was no other way; the trio barely fit so four was out of the question.

The halls were eerily empty and quiet. Hogwarts seemed to lack the warmth that usually permeated the walls; the torches that lined them were dark, casting everything in shadows. Every step they took seemed to bounce off the walls, making Harry's hair stand on end. He was afraid someone would be roaming the halls, looking for any student that wasn't in the Great Hall. They all remained quiet as they continued walking, too afraid to make any more noise.

It took several more minutes before they reached their destination. They were in a part of the castle the trio had never been to before.

"Where are we?" whispered Ron.

"Near the Ravenclaw common room," answered Luna. "You can usually find her around here."

"Who are we looking for exactly?" asked Hermione softly.

"You'll see."

They reached a spiral staircase but instead of going up, Luna led them to a corridor to the right. Shadows climbed the walls as they softly walked through the corridor.

"Luna? Is that you?" asked a soft voice.

"Yes, it's me," answered Luna.

A ghost floated out of the shadows, forming into a beautiful young woman. As soon as she saw that Luna wasn't alone, she recoiled.

"Who are they? Why did you bring them here?"

"They just need your help," said Luna. "They're my friends, you can trust them."

The ghost looked hesitantly at the trio. "What do you want?"

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry as he took a step forward.

"You're the Grey Lady aren't you?"

The ghost glared. "I don't like that name." She began to disappear.

Hermione quickly stepped forward. "No, no, Helena! Your name is Helena!"

The ghost stopped and looked at her. She nodded.

"Rowena Ravenclaw was your mother," said Hermione.

Helena nodded again. Hermione looked at Harry and nodded.

"We'd just like to ask you what you know about your mother's diadem."

Suspicion immediately crossed Helena's features. "Why do you want to know about that?"

"We're looking for it," Ron said.

"We want to destroy it," said Harry. "We need to destroy it."

Helena looked at Luna, who nodded at her. "I haven't seen it in a really long time."

"But you know where it is," Hermione said.

"Someone told me before that they would destroy it but they didn't. They only made it worse," she said loudly.

"Helena, we promise that the only thing we want to do is destroy it but we need you to tell us where it is first," said Harry.

Helena looked at them with apprehension before sighing. "It's here, in the castle, in the place where everything is hidden. If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask."

She gave them all a last glance before disappearing.

Harry looked at Hermione.

"The Room of Requirement."

Harry began to pace. "Okay, we need to split up. We need to go to Dumbledore's office and search for the cup, get basilisk's fangs from the Chamber of Secrets and search the Room of Requirement for the diadem." He looked at Ron and Hermione. "I'm going to go to Dumbledore's office, you two go to the chamber."

Hermione glared. "You're not going by yourself." Her tone made it clear that it wasn't a request.

"I'll join you, that way we can stay in pairs," said Luna.

"Are you sure Luna? I don't want to put you in any more danger," said Harry.

She looked at him, her gaze unflinching. "Being in the castle is dangerous, no matter where you are."

Harry hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Okay, so who's going to the chamber?"

"Me and Luna can go to the chamber while you two search Dumbledore's office," said Ron without hesitating.

Harry nodded. "Alright, once you're done, head to the Room of Requirement."

They quickly walked out of the hallway and stopped at the end of the corridor.

"Stay safe," Harry said to Ron and Luna.

"Yeah, you too," answered Ron.

No other words were said as they walked away from each other, all of them intent on finishing this as quickly as possible.

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><p><strong>So there it is. Yay for more Luna! As I said, I'll start working on the next chapter soon and try to get it to you guys as soon as possible. I'm still not sure how many chapters are left but it's definitely winding down. I hope you guys liked it. Remember, reviews are good for the soul.<strong>

**Thanks for reading :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**I am so sorry! I hadn't realized it was a month since I last updated! I knew I was taking forever but jeez...I suck don't I? School and work have been keeping me super busy...more than I would like lol. Well, I'm sorry again and I hope I can make up for it with this chapter. Ugh, I feel so bad right now lol. I already started the next chapter so I hope it doesn't take me that long. Finals are next week so I'll try to work on it here and there. Even if I don't it shouldn't take me a month since Christmas break is coming up and I'll have ton of free time :) Fingers crossed!**

**Anyway, here it is. I hope you guys like it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 17 <strong>

Only their breathing could be heard under the invisibility cloak as they walked to the headmaster's office.

The silence between them was overwhelming. Both of them knew what was on each other's mind but neither of them was brave enough to bring it up.

Being this close to each other wasn't working for them either. Harry was starting to think that no matter what situation they were in, Hermione always managed to smell good. He didn't understand it, really. It really astounded Hermione how even in the most dangerous situations she could still be so easily affected by the feeling of Harry's body warmth next to hers.

_So ridiculous._

"This is ridiculous," she whispered.

Harry jumped a little at her voice. In the quiet halls of the school, Hermione's whisper seemed to bounce off the walls, making it seem loud.

"What's ridiculous?" Harry asked, his voice almost nonexistent in its quietness.

Hermione sighed. She knew that this wasn't the time to talk about this but she couldn't help it. _What if there is no later for us?_

"We're both thinking about it, Harry" she whispered.

Harry glanced at her sideways. Her eyes were set resolutely forward, the darkness masking the emotions on her face from him.

"What did you feel when you saw her?" she asked breathlessly.

Harry stared forward again. _We don't have time for this, _his mind snapped. _You might not have the time for it at all later…_

Harry sighed. "Relief," he said quietly.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in confusion but she still didn't look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Relief that she was okay," he whispered. "Relief that…that it wasn't what I expected."

Hermione glance at him quickly before looking forward again. "What had you been expecting?"

He stayed quiet for a moment. "I thought that it would be this great moment; that I would have this… intense, indescribable feeling when I saw her." He paused. "I thought that it would be the moment where I knew that I loved her; that it was real."

She bit her lip. "That's not what you felt?"

Harry shook his head. "No."

She swallowed. "What does that mean?"

He shrugged. "I don't know…it's not the same anymore, I guess."

He looked at her then, wishing that she would look at him; that the darkness would disappear and show him exactly what she was feeling. He wished he could stop being afraid and tell her everything but it seemed that a part of him just wasn't willing to take that risk. He didn't want to give her something that might ultimately be taken away. Deep down, he also knew that he didn't want to do that to himself. _Why won't you just take advantage of the time you have right now? _Harry shook his head. _What if Voldemort finds out? I can't put her in any more danger. I won't._

They continued walking, alert to everything surrounding them. Before they knew it, they were standing in front of the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office.

"Oh god, I just thought of something," said Hermione as she looked at him. "Snape must have his own password now."

Harry grimaced. "I hadn't thought of that."

Hermione looked around nervously. "Okay, let's not panic. He might not have changed it." She looked at him again. "If I'm right about Snape, he might have left the password alone; you know, as a sort of homage to Dumbledore."

Harry frowned. "Yeah, maybe."

Hermione glared at him a little. "Think about it, Harry. Leaving it the same would throw people off; nobody would even consider that, not after what he did."

Harry sighed. "Fine what would the password be, then?"

"I don't know. You've been here more than me. Is there a pattern you've noticed?"

Harry quickly nodded. "Dumbledore loved sweets. He always used the name of one as a password."

"Well, that definitely narrows things down. Can you remember any of them?"

Harry looked at the gargoyle. "Sherbert lemon."

Nothing happened. The gargoyle stared at them, almost like it was taunting them.

Hermione frowned. "Chocolate frogs."

"Fizzing whizzbees."

"Licorice snaps."

"Acid pops."

"Sugar quill."

"Treacle fudge."

"Chocolate wand."

"Peppermint toad."

They paused, trying not to get frustrated.

"Wait!" Harry looked at Hermione. "How could we forget Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?" he asked her.

A grinding noise pierced the silence. They both turned to look as the gargoyle slid away, revealing a staircase behind it.

Harry sighed. "You were right. Yet again."

Hermione tried not to smirk as they walked through the doorway and slowly began their ascent to Dumbledore's office.

###

"Something has changed hasn't it?"

They had reached the girls lavatory on the second floor. Ron paused as they stepped inside and looked at Luna.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Between the three of you," she answered. "The dynamic is different now."

He looked away.

"I'm sorry, it's just something I noticed," she said.

Ron shook his head as he walked towards the sinks. "It's okay." He paused. "You're not wrong."

He leaned forward a bit and easily found the snake on the faucet. "Alright, this is it."

Luna visibly perked up. "This should be interesting."

Ron smirked. "Yeah, loads."

He backed up and said, "_Open_."

A hissing sound erupted from the sinks as they began to break away. Ron and Luna backed away as the sinks moved away from each other, forming a circle around a dark hole in the ground.

"I didn't know you could speak Parseltongue," said Luna once the sinks stopped moving.

"I don't," he said. "Harry talks in his sleep."

Luna nodded as they stepped closer to the hole in the ground.

Ron sighed and looked at her. "You ready?"

She nodded.

"Okay, I'll go first. I'll be waiting for you down there."

"Going in again, are we?"

They looked up and found Moaning Myrtle looking down at them.

"Yes, we need to help Harry," said Luna.

Myrtle immediately perked up. "Harry? Where is he? Is he around?"

"Uh yeah, he's around," Ron said. "We've really got to get going though, so if you don't mind…"

"Oh sure! Who wants to spend time with miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle?"

Ron anxiously looked at Luna, who only shrugged in return.

"Oh go on! It's clear you don't want to waste any more time here." Before they could jump however, she added one more thing. "Don't forget to say hello to Harry for me."

Ron slowly nodded. "Uh, sure."

He quickly looked at Luna and only hesitated for a second before jumping in. Luna followed seconds later, leaving the girl's lavatory silent except for the soft hiccups of the resident ghost.

###

The office was quiet except for the soft snores of the portraits and the tinkling of Dumbledore's old instruments.

Harry and Hermione immediately looked toward the portrait hanging behind the headmaster's desk and found their old headmaster, who was lightly snoring. A tightness gripped at Harry's heart as he looked at the man he had respected and admired. Tears were pricking at his eyes when he felt a warm hand wrap around his. He looked down at the soft hand before looking at Hermione, who looked like she was trying to hold her own tears as well. They smiled at each other before walking further into the office, both of them glancing at that particular portrait every once in a while.

"Do you think he would hide it?" asked Hermione, as she looked around.

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure. I doubt anybody visits this office except for him but he might take the precaution anyway."

Hermione paused and looked at him. "Unless he wants it to be found."

Harry stopped and looked at her, a frown on his face.

Hermione huffed. "Why are you so adamant against the idea of Snape being good?"

"Because for years he's been adamant to prove otherwise," Harry retorted.

Hermione looked away. "Well it could have been his cover."

"Yeah and it worked; a little too well, maybe."

She shot him a quick glare. "Regardless, it might not be so well hidden if he thought that he'd be the only one here."

"Then I guess I thought wrong."

They froze. That voice was unmistakable. They looked at each other before slowly turning around.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Mr. Potter and his know-it-all best friend?" drawled the deep voice.

Harry and Hermione were now face to face with the new headmaster, Severus Snape.

###

"Thank Merlin that giant snake skin isn't here anymore," said Ron.

"There was actual basilisk skin here before? Oh, I could have gotten some and shown it to father," Luna said, disappointed.

Ron just shook his head, a humorous look on his face.

The slide down hadn't been as bad as Ron had remembered; he assumed it was because he knew there wasn't actually a basilisk down here anymore. Luna seemed to be taking it all in stride, as usual. Sometimes it seemed like nothing could surprise her, as if she'd experienced this a hundred times before.

They walked to the chamber door and paused.

"Harry dreams in Parseltongue?" asked Luna.

"Sometimes; it doesn't happen often, though."

"Interesting," she said. "And you remembered it?"

He glanced at her, embarrassed. "Well, he would say that particular word a lot." He looked back at the door. "He still dreams about what happened here second year."

"I'm sure it's not something you forget easily," Luna said as she looked at him. "Facing a basilisk isn't something that happens every day. Life would be more interesting if it did."

"Interesting? More like frightening." He sighed. "Alright, here we go."

He paused and said, "_Open._"

Everything was silent for a moment before a stone snake moved from the top of the chamber door to the bottom, unlocking the other stone snakes along the way. Once the snake disappeared, the door slowly swung open, revealing the long abandoned Chamber of Secrets.

"Blimey."

Luna could only nod as they stepped through the door. If Harry had been visiting the chamber, he would have found that nothing had really changed but everything was new to Ron and Luna. They slowly walked towards the shallow pool at the end of the chamber, turning their heads this way and that.

"A bit too many snakes for my liking," said Ron as he stared at one of the huge stone snake heads that lined the path.

They both looked up as they reached the pool of water. The liking of Salazar Slytherin was chipping here and there but still very much intact.

"Bit presumptuous, wasn't he?" asked Ron.

Luna smiled. "Maybe a bit." She paused. "Did Harry ever tell you what happened in here?"

Ron nodded. "Tom Riddle's memory appeared and called the basilisk. He ordered it to kill Harry so that he could have more time to drain the life out of Ginny." He paused and swallowed. "Then Fawkes appeared with the sorting hat which gave Harry Gryffindor's sword. He used it to kill the basilisk."

They both looked over at what remained of Slytherin's loyal snake. Rats had only left the bones of the huge creature. Neither of them could imagine what it must have been like to face the snake while it was alive; seeing it like this was still enough to frighten even the bravest of people.

They walked over to the mouth of the great beast. Ron reached out and roughly pulled out one of the fangs.

"One of these got lodged in Harry's arm when he stabbed it through the mouth," he said as he handed Luna the fang. "The venom almost killed him but luckily, Fawkes saved him with his healing tears. Then Harry used it to destroy the diary that had been possessing Ginny all year."

Luna remained quiet for a moment before saying, "He's been through so much."

"Yeah, he has."

She looked at him, her gaze penetrating. "It doesn't make you any less important you know."

Ron froze. "What?"

"He wouldn't be where he was if it wasn't for you and Hermione. No matter what you may think, you're just as important."

Ron shook his head. "Not as important as Hermione."

Luna cocked her head. "Why?"

"She's always been there for him; I haven't." He paused. "I left them when they needed me most."

Luna nodded slowly but didn't look at him any different. "But you came back."

"Yeah but I still ruined everything. It's not the same anymore." He looked at her. "It's like you said; the dynamic changed."

He turned and started pulling out more fangs. He worked diligently, handing several to Luna. Soon, he was walking back towards the entrance with Luna in tow.

They walked in silence before Luna asked, "You mean with Hermione."

Ron sighed before nodding. "With Harry too, but especially with Hermione."

Luna paused, as if, for the first time, she were actually considering her next words.

"Something happened between her and Harry."

It wasn't a question but Ron's silence confirmed what she'd been thinking.

"I knew I noticed something at Shell Cottage."

Ron turned to look at her as they reached the chamber door. "You noticed too?"

She nodded. "It was kind of hard not to."

Ron sighed and looked down. "Yeah, I know. Still, I thought…well, I hoped that it was nothing. That I was just imagining things."

Luna remained silent and just looked at him.

"Thinking about it, it seems like it was kind of inevitable. I was daft to think it wouldn't," he said.

Luna smiled. "Hermione is wonderful, a bit close minded, but wonderful nonetheless. I'm sure you'll find someone that's even better for you, though."

Ron smiled in return. "Thanks, I hope you're right."

"Oh, it will happen. A great guy deserves a great girl." She started climbing out of the chamber. "We should probably go find Harry and Hermione now. Maybe they've found what they're looking for."

Ron nodded and followed her, feeling slightly better about his love life.

###

"Now, what shall I do with the two of you?" asked Snape.

Harry only glared at him. "You've got a lot of nerve stepping into this office after what you did."

Snape looked at him, a humorous look on his face. "I suppose I do."

Hermione looked at him pleadingly. "Please sir, we know what you did here but we also know what else you've done."

Snape turned his gaze to her. "Pray tell, Granger, what exactly have I been doing?"

Hermione swallowed. "You took things out of Bellatrix's vault."

Snape chuckled. "You know, I'm not afraid of Bella but even I know not to go messing with her things. She's got a bit of a temper, you see."

"You're lying."

"Really, Potter?" He walked closer to Harry. "Prove it."

Harry's glare never left his face. "Somebody told us you did it; someone within Gringotts."

Snape didn't even blink. "Is that so? Well by all means, trust a goblin. They've always wanted the best for wizards and witches."

Harry's glare only deepened.

Snape smirked. "Now there's still the issue of what to do with you."

A brisk voice interrupted. "Well if you wish to get out of here alive, Severus, I trust that you will leave them be."

They all turned towards the voice and found Professor McGonagall standing in the entrance, wand at the ready.

Snape stared coolly at the professor. "I doubt that threatening the headmaster will do you any favors, Minerva."

"I expect not but I doubt that you will remain headmaster for much longer," McGonagall retorted.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Professor McGonagall only stared at him, a cool expression on her face. Suddenly, a red jet of light streamed from her wand towards Snape, who quickly deflected it into a nearby bookcase, sending books flying. Harry grabbed Hermione and pulled her further into the office, shielding them both from the spell. A rapid succession of the same red light shot towards Snape, who was quickly deflecting them all, but just barely. The smirk had left his face; doubt had finally entered his eyes.

The spells continued, Professor McGonagall never wavering in her attack. She had moved closer to Snape, who was quickly losing ground. What happened next occurred so quickly, that Harry almost missed it: Snape quickly shot his own spell, but missed, hitting a glass cabinet next to McGonagall. The glass exploded, while the cabinet shook from its frame and began to topple. McGonagall quickly threw herself out of the way, landing on a pile of books. In the commotion, Harry saw a cloud of black smoke burst through one of the windows, disappearing into the night.

Silence settled over the office as bits of debris still lingered in the air, slowly falling to the ground. Harry and Hermione quickly walked over to the professor, who was still on the ground.

"Professor, are you alright?" asked Harry as they neared her.

She slowly sat up and said, "I may be old, Mr. Potter but I've still got some fight left in me."

Harry smiled. "I'll say."

They each grabbed an arm and helped her up, pulling her away from all the debris on the floor.

"I must say, it's good to see you two," she said, smiling.

"It's good to see you too, professor," Hermione said.

"Where's Mr. Weasley?"

"Oh, he's around," said Harry, not looking at her.

She wasn't fooled, however, if the stern look on her face was any indication. It was ridiculous, but even at this stage, Harry still felt a touch of guilt at the rule breaking him and his friends were doing at the moment.

Hermione quickly interrupted. "Professor, maybe you can help us." She quickly glanced at Harry before continuing. "We're looking for something—a cup—that Snape might have hidden here."

A look of confusion settled over the professor's face. "A cup?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, a golden cup that belonged to Hufflepuff. Maybe you know of any hiding spots Snape may have put it in, since you're more familiar with the office."

"Well if you want to ask somebody who's familiar with this office, maybe you should ask me."

The three of them quickly turned toward the portrait of Dumbledore, who was smiling softly at all of them. They walked closer to the desk and stopped in front of it.

Harry had so many questions for him but now that he had the opportunity, he was speechless. "Professor…"

"Harry, it's good to see you again." He smiled at Hermione. "You as well Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Dumbledore looked over at McGonagall and said, "Minerva, my old friend, it's good to see you're still as powerful as ever."

Professor McGonagall seemed to be struggling just as much as her former students. There was a light sheen in her eyes as she stared at her beloved friend. She cleared her throat and said, "Thank you, Albus."

He smiled warmly at her before turning to look at Harry. "So you're looking for Hufflepuff's cup?"

Harry quickly nodded. "Yes, sir."

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm glad to see you've gotten this far."

"Not without help," he said, looking at Hermione.

"Yes, I'm sure Miss Granger, as well as Mr. Weasley, has been of utmost importance in your search."

Hermione looked away, trying not to blush.

"Well, let's not waste any more time," said Dumbledore. "If Severus were to hide anything in this office it would be behind my desk. Minerva, if you would."

Professor McGonagall quickly walked behind Dumbledore's desk to stand in front of two small doors. In all of his moments spent in this office, Harry had to admit that he'd never noticed those doors before. Granted, he'd spent most of his time with Dumbledore who usually sat in the chair, blocking the doors from his view. Harry was snapped out of his thoughts as he saw the professor wave her wand at the doors, which slowly slid open.

Harry had been expecting to see some sort of vault but all he saw was simple shelves with books here and there as well as other trinkets. Everything on the shelves became invisible to him as he saw what they'd been looking for. The cup sat on the second shelf towards the right. It no longer shone as brightly as it would have if it was new, but even then the cup was an impressive thing to see. McGonagall carefully took it and walked it to Harry, who held it just as carefully.

The golden cup wasn't as opulent as he had been expecting. It had designs all over, mostly curving lines and leaves, but the most intricate design on it was the badger in the center. The detail was incredible, making the badger look life-like. Other than that, it was a pretty simple cup.

Harry and Hermione knew differently, however. Harry could hear the horcrux, it's tiny, scratching noises falling deaf to everyone but him; he could almost feel it. The idea that something so evil resided in such a simple but elegant cup astounded him. It made his skin crawl as he held it. Harry's urge to fling it away, to destroy it, increased.

Harry took a deep breath and looked at Dumbledore, who nodded at him. He looked at Professor McGonagall. "Thanks for your help, professor."

The professor nodded, looking slightly confused. "I'll help in any way I can, Mr. Potter."

Hermione looked at him. "We should go find Ron and Luna."

He didn't want to leave, though. He wanted to stay, to hear Dumbledore reassure him that everything would work out but he knew that not even Dumbledore could assure him of that.

"You'll do well, Harry. I know you will."

Harry only nodded as he looked at the old headmaster. Hermione rested her hand on his arm and gently squeezed. Her reassuring gaze calmed him as he finally turned away. They slowly began to walk out but before they left, Professor McGonagall stopped them.

"Take care of yourselves will you?"

They stopped and looked at her, small smiles on both of their faces.

"You as well, professor," said Hermione.

With that, they walked out, the door softly closing behind them.

* * *

><p><strong>Well there it is. Now, that I think about it, it's more of a filler than anything, isn't it? More action to come, that's for sure :) I hope you guys liked it! I wasn't sure about the RonLuna part mostly because I'm still worried about how I write Luna; I'm sure that's something that's going to continue. I mean, she's just so different that I find myself struggling more with her than with anybody else. I'll keep struggling though because I absolutely love Luna and I want to have her as much as possible in the story :) I hope I write her well enough for you guys :)**

**Alright, well thanks for reading and remember, reviews are good for the soul, body, and mind ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys! Well here's the next chapter! It's been a shorter wait for this one right? I hope so...I know that it's less than a month so that's good lol. I'm on break right now, so I'll try and get as much written as I can :) Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. It's getting down to the wire; I'm thinking there's only going to be a couple more chapters. I don't know, I'll see what happens. Okay, I'll stop rambling. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

It didn't take them long to find Ron and Luna after leaving Dumbledore's office. They were now in an empty corridor, some ways away from the Great Hall. The castle was still eerily empty, making them think that the students still remained in the Great Hall.

They stood quietly in a circle, staring at the golden cup on the floor.

"Hermione, you do it."

Hermione's head snapped towards Harry. "What?"

He looked at her. "You should do it."

She shook her head, looking unsure. "No, I can't…"

Harry turned towards her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Hermione, I know you can do this." His gaze was intense. "I know you can."

The worried look didn't leave her face but she nodded anyway. Ron walked over to her and handed her a basilisk's fang, giving her a reassuring smile as he did. She gave him a weak smile before she turned and looked at the cup.

Ron gave a slight jump. "Wait, what about Luna?"

Luna slowly turned to look at him. "What about me, Ron?"

He glanced at her before looking at Harry. "She doesn't know about this."

Concern crossed Harry's features as he looked at Luna. "He's right, Luna. Maybe you shouldn't be here; it isn't safe."

Luna's expression didn't change as they looked at her but a glint appeared in her normally dreamy eyes. "I told Ron earlier that it's not safe anywhere in the castle. This may be dangerous but I'd rather be with friends than by myself."

Guilt settled over all of them as they stared at her.

"I'm assuming that this has something to do with You-Know-Who; something that you're supposed to destroy in order to defeat him."

Ron's jaw slackened. "How does she do that?"

Harry and Hermione shrugged.

"Alright, if you're sure Luna," Harry said.

She only nodded in return.

"You ready?" asked Harry, looking at Hermione.

"No, but there's no use in wasting time," she answered.

"Do you think it's going to put up a fight?" Ron asked, glancing nervously at Hermione before looking at Harry. "You know, like last time?"

Harry noticed the glance, as did Hermione, but neither of them acknowledged it.

"All of them have, at least from my experience. I don't think this one is going to be different," said Harry.

They all turned to look expectantly at Hermione, who was only looking at the cup. She nervously looked at Harry, who only nodded, an assuring look in his eyes. She slowly kneeled in front of the cup, holding the basilisk's fang tightly in her right hand. Her arm shook slightly as she lifted the fang, only hesitating a second before bringing it down hard on the cup, stabbing it right in the center.

No loud bang was heard but the four of them were still knocked off their feet, sending them a couple of feet away. A white, blinding light emanated from the cup, swirls of smoke slowly becoming thicker above it. As the light dimmed, a human form became visible, slightly stepping closer to Hermione.

It was a boy, perhaps no older than ten. The dark locks of hair on his head stopped just below his ears; it looked soft to the touch. His eyes were a bright, innocent blue, big and round. He wore what looked like a school uniform, crisp and new. The beautiful boy was glowing, making him seem ethereal. He looked at no one but Hermione with a sad look on his face.

"Are you trying to hurt me?" asked the boy.

Hermione faltered. The boy's voice was high and musical, making him even more enchanting.

"I haven't done anything wrong, I promise," he said, never looking away from Hermione.

She couldn't look away. The basilisk fang was now held lightly in her limp hand. The rest of the group was just as captivated by the boy; none of them could look away.

"It's not nice to hurt others; that's what everybody tells me. I try not to hurt others but what do I do when they try to hurt me?"

A slight frown appeared on Hermione's face, almost like she was remembering there was something she needed to do. The grip on the fang tightened as she took a small step closer to the boy.

The boy didn't hesitate. "I know how to hurt others; I watch and I listen. But I don't want to."

Determination was slowly seeping into Hermione's features. She took another step.

"You can't hurt me but if you make me, I can hurt you," said the boy. He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please don't make me hurt you."

For a moment, it looked like Hermione would stop. The boy's face was so angelic that his pleading eyes were almost enough to break hearts. Almost.

After a moment, Hermione took another step, increasing her grip on the fang. The boy's face creased with worry and fear but upon seeing Hermione's determined expression, his features contorted with anger and hate.

"You can't hurt me, Hermione Granger. I know what you fear, what you hold most dear. You can't hurt me but I can hurt you." The boy continued as Hermione took another step. "You fear for your safety but you fear for others' safety more; your parents, your friends. You love them so much but I can hurt them to hurt you; especially him."

The boy pointed at Harry without looking away from Hermione. His voice was no longer the angelic voice it had started with; it was twisted and deep, filled with extreme anger and malice.

"I know you cannot bear the thought of living without him. His death haunts your worst nightmares." He stared coldly at her. "I can make those nightmares come true. I can kill him, Hermione Granger. I _will_ kill him."

Tears began forming in Hermione's eyes as she closed the gap between her and the cup. She pulled her gaze away from the boy's cold eyes and raised her right arm, gripping the fang in her white-knuckled fist.

The boy's voice was now tinged with fear as he said, "I will kill him! I will! You can't stop me! Nobody can!"

Hermione didn't look up as she brought the fang down on the cup, piercing it all the way through. A loud, piercing shriek rent through the hallway. The boy tore at his face, screaming as if in indescribable pain. Wind rustled through the hallway as the light from the cup began to brighten to overwhelming heights. They all looked away as the boy gave one final cry of pain and anger before disappearing with a loud bang.

Silence fell over the hallway as they slowly picked themselves off the floor; everyone except Hermione that is. She only sat up, leaning her elbows on her knees, hiding her face. The three of them quickly walked over to her but only Harry kneeled down.

He put a hand on her shoulder as he said, "You did it, Hermione. I knew you could."

Hermione nodded weakly but still didn't look up.

"Hermione, it's okay. The boy's gone; now we can move on and find the other horcrux," said Harry.

Hermione slowly looked up, revealing the tears on her face. All Harry wanted to do at that moment was hug Hermione and hold her until she felt better but he knew they didn't have the time. He was sure that many people, if not everyone, had heard the bang; they couldn't linger in the hallway or else they would be caught by Voldemort's henchmen.

He put his hand on her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Hey, it's going to be okay. We can do this."

Hermione looked away briefly before nodding. Harry wiped the tears from her face and said, "Come on, we need to get out of this hallway before people find us."

Hermione nodded again as Harry helped her up. He kept a reassuring hand on her arm as he looked towards Ron and Luna.

"You guys okay?"

They both nodded. Ron was looking worriedly at Hermione while Luna looked towards the far end of the hallway, listening intently to their surroundings.

Voices were quickly coming closer to them from the same end of the hallway that Luna had been looking at. "Okay, we need to go," said Harry.

They quickly walked the opposite way, keeping close to the shadows. Once they were further away from the voices, Ron whispered, "Where to now, Harry?"

Without hesitating, Harry said, "The Room of Requirement."

###

The piles of random objects seemed never ending. Some piles bulged at the sides while others nearly touched the high, vaulted ceiling. The amount of things collected here astounded all of them.

"There must be things here from centuries ago," whispered Luna.

"Yeah, maybe since Hogwarts was founded," Ron whispered.

Harry was momentarily disheartened at the sight of so many objects. It was good to know that the diadem was somewhere in this room but the room was so vast that he didn't know how long it would take them to find it.

"Do you feel anything, Harry?" said Hermione.

Harry shook his head. "We should split up; there's no telling how long this will take."

Hermione slightly frowned, looking like she was going to disagree but quickly let it go. They all went their separate ways, quickly looking at everything they passed.

Harry didn't pay much attention to what he was seeing. Instead, he paid attention to what he was feeling, listening for the telling noise of a horcrux. It still bothered him that he was able to feel them and it only seemed to be getting worse.

Something he failed to mention earlier was what he had felt at the destruction of Hufflepuff's cup. It was completely new, something that took him completely by surprise. When Hermione pierced the cup the first time, he only felt a tiny stab of pain but when Hermione stabbed through the cup, the horcrux's shrieks pierced right through him, almost blinding him with pain. It was lucky that none of the others had been paying enough attention to him or they would have immediately noticed, especially Hermione. It frightened him to think that his connection to these evil objects ran deeper than he originally thought. He didn't dwell too much on this, preferring to push these thoughts to the back of his mind and pretend they didn't exist.

A light scratching noise disrupted his thoughts. He stopped and looked around, focusing all of his attention on the noise. He walked forward slowly, turning left once a new pathway opened up, the noise getting louder with every step.

A small table filled with random objects stood in front of him. Harry's eyes locked onto it, anticipation flooding his body. The scratching noise was at its highest as he reached the table, a maroon satin box catching his eye. He stared at it for a second before reaching forward, opening the box to reveal its contents.

Like the cup, the diadem showed signs of its long life but was no less splendid. The diadem was structured to look like an eagle, the head resting just above a great sapphire that lay at its center with diamonds lining the wings. _"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure" _was etched near the bottom.

Harry picked it up, relieved that he was closer to his goal. Movement caught his eye and he quickly turned, wand at the ready. He almost cursed at his friends for sneaking up on him but refrained when he saw the look on Hermione's face.

They quickly walked up to him as Hermione whispered, "There's someone in here."

Now Harry did curse but mentally. He was so engrossed in finding the diadem that he hadn't been paying attention to anything else.

"Have you seen them?" he whispered.

"No, I heard them; whoever it was, they weren't trying to keep quiet by the sound of it," she responded.

"Okay, well we can go." He held up the diadem. "I found it."

Hermione and Ron smiled while Luna looked like she wanted nothing more than to examine the diadem for several hours.

"Do you think there's more than one?" asked Ron quietly as they slowly made their way to the exit.

"Probably," whispered Harry.

They rounded a corner before Harry quickly flung his arm out, stopping the rest of them. Without turning around, he stepped back, pushing them with him.

He turned to look at them and mouthed, "Malfoy."

He leaned forward as slowly as he could, wanting to take a better look. He didn't get the chance though because as soon as he had a small visual of the intruders, a spell was shot at him, forcing him back.

"Come out, Potter," spat Malfoy. "There's no use in hiding."

He looked at his friends, who only nodded in response to his questioning gaze. Harry took a deep breath and stepped forward. He held his wand at his side, somehow reassured that Malfoy wouldn't hurt them; he was still prepared to attack at any second, however.

"Well, I see you're not alone," said Malfoy as he took them in. "You know I'm still disappointed in the choices you've made in the friend department, Potter."

"I could say the same, Malfoy," retorted Harry, pointing at Crabbe and Goyle who were flanking Malfoy.

Malfoy frowned. "It doesn't matter anymore seeing as you won't be having them much longer."

Now it was Harry's turn to frown. Even before he asked, he had a feeling he knew the answer. "And why is that?"

"You-Know-Who. He's here," Malfoy said. Harry found it interesting that even though Malfoy tried to say it in a brave voice, the fear was clear in his eyes at saying Voldemort's nickname.

"Before he kills you, though, I'd like my wand back."

"Your wand? What about the one you're holding?" Harry asked.

"Don't play with me, Potter. You know perfectly well this isn't my wand." He paused. "My mother's wand is strong but it isn't the same."

"I'd like to ask you something first," said Harry. "Why didn't you say it was me?"

Malfoy just stared, saying nothing.

"You knew it was me. You saw Ron and Hermione. So why didn't you say anything?"

Malfoy remained quiet but worry began to settle in his eyes.

"Are we really going to stand here like a bunch of girls or are you going to do something about them, Malfoy?" said Crabbe.

Whatever hesitation Malfoy was feeling disappeared, his cold expression settling over his features again.

He raised his wand at Harry. "My wand, Potter."

Three wands raised behind him as Harry said, "It's not nice to threaten people, Malfoy."

"Oh, sod this," said Crabbe before he shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry and his friends quickly dodged the spell, firing spells of their own. Soon, there was spells being thrown back and forth, ricocheting off piles, bringing random objects down on them.

"Expulso!" shouted Hermione.

The curse hit an enormous pile near Malfoy and his cronies, blasting many objects off and bringing the rest of it down on them. Malfoy and Goyle barely managed to jump out of the way but Crabbe, who was closest to the toppling pile, wasn't as lucky. Heavy objects rained down on him, pinning him under.

Harry started running, grabbing Hermione's arm with Ron and Luna not far behind.

As they ran, they faintly heard Malfoy yell, "Leave him!"

"How do we get out of this bloody room?" asked Ron.

Before any of them could answer, an intense heat came from behind them. They all turned and froze in horror.

"Fiendfyre!" shouted Hermione.

Ron swore. "Goyle, you bloody idiot!"

Harry pushed at the three of them. "Move! Now!"

The heat's intensity seemed to increase by the second, making it hard to breath. The fire spread faster than wildfire, closing off most of their exits. Piles that had stood for centuries toppled around them as they continued running.

They stopped at a crossway as the fire came straight at them in the form of a serpent.

"Protego Maxima!" shouted Harry, waving his wand upwards.

The fire hit the shield, creating a powerful wave that rippled around them, sending even more things crashing down. The force of the impact knocked them all down, sending them several feet back. Harry landed on a pile of debris but wasted no time in getting up again. He quickly found the others and dragged them forward.

Just when it seemed like they would never find an exit Luna yelled, "There!"

They all stopped and quickly followed her, the entrance coming into view after just a couple of steps. The destruction of the fiendfyre lessened as they got closer but before they reached the entrance, they stumbled on a body.

It was Malfoy.

Hermione quickly kneeled down and turned him over, feeling for a pulse.

"What are you doing, Hermione? We have to get out of here!" shouted Ron.

Instead of answering his question she said to Harry, "He's alive!"

Harry hesitated as all three of them stared at him.

"Harry, he's the reason we're in this mess!" said Ron.

Harry shook his head. "We can't leave him here. You know we can't." He stooped over, grabbed one of Malfoy's arms, and looked at Ron. "Help me with him."

Ron grumbled something incoherent before grabbing Malfoy's other arm and pulling him up, throwing the arm over his shoulder while Harry did the same. The girls quickly ran to the door and opened it, watching as the boys walked out with Malfoy.

Before Hermione closed the door, she jumped and looked at Harry, who was helping Ron lay Malfoy on the ground.

"Harry, the diadem!"

He looked at her, confusion all over his face. "What about it?"

"The fiendfyre! It can destroy horcruxes!"

Without hesitating, Harry left Malfoy on the ground and walked towards the door, quickly throwing the diadem into the flames as hard as he could.

A dull roar rumbled in the room as the fire convulsed, destroying another piece of Voldemort's soul. A sharp pain shot through Harry's body as Hermione shut the door, making him collapse to the ground.

"Harry!"

It felt like a part of his soul was being ripped to pieces. It was more excruciating than _Crucio_. He slumped on the floor, blind to everything else but the intense pain coursing through his body. For a second, the pain disappeared, replaced by a tense, strong feeling; it almost felt like he was slithering…

His eyes snapped open, the pain falling away. Hermione, Ron, and Luna were all kneeled in front of him, worry written on all of their faces.

"It's the snake," he gasped.

"What?" asked Hermione.

"The snake is the last horcrux. That's the last thing we have to destroy," he said.

Hermione looked away as fear gripped her. Old thoughts flashed to the surface, thoughts she had been trying to suppress. _No, please, he can't…it's impossible…_

"Hermione, what is it?"

She snapped her gaze back at him. "What?"

"What's wrong?"

She looked at the Ron and Luna, who were staring at her as well. She looked back at Harry. "Nothing, it's just that the snake never leaves his side."

Harry looked at her strangely but let it go. She was scared, he knew that, but he had a feeling that wasn't the reason why.

"We can lure it away," said Ron, "in the heat of the battle, when You-Know-Who is focusing on something else." He looked at Harry; it was clear to all of them that he was going to be the distraction.

Harry nodded, his expression grim. "Yeah, that'll be your best shot."

He slowly stood up and looked over at Malfoy. "What should we do with him?"

"Not carry him around that's for sure," said Ron.

"I think we can leave him here," said Luna. "I don't think anybody will hurt him if they find him, no matter what side they're on."

"You're probably right," Harry said. "Hermione, can you give me his wand?"

Ron looked at him surprised. "You're going to give him his wand back? Are you crazy?"

Hermione took the wand from her beaded bag and handed it to Harry, who placed it on Malfoy's chest. "I don't think he's going to be fighting anyone tonight."

He stood up and sighed. "Come on, we've got to find Neville and find out what's going on."

He started running towards the Great Hall with Ron, Hermione, and Luna right beside him.

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><p><strong>And there it is. Remember, reviews are good for the soul. Thanks for reading :)<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! I hope your new year has started off well :)**

** Now, some parts of this chapter are going to be very similar to canon because there are moments that I love and didn't want to change; I thought J.K. Rowling already wrote them perfectly. However, there are minor changes here and there as well as things that didn't happen in canon. So it's a good mixture of old and new...at least I hope so lol. Anyway, I hope you guys like it!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

The Great Hall was in chaos.

All of the students were in the hall, shouting over each other. Most of the students were standing with their houses, some mingling here and there.

One of the first things Harry, Ron and Hermione noticed as they walked in was how little students there were. Neville had already told them but it was something else to actually see how small the class size had become.

Silence settled over the hall once the students saw the newcomers. Many of them stared at Harry in undisguised awe, as if everything was going to be fixed now with him here. Others looked at him with reproach, as if blaming him for the turn of events at the school. Harry ignored them as he walked towards the front of the hall where Neville was talking to the professors.

"What's happened?" he asked when he finally reached them.

"He's here, Harry," Neville said gravely.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I've heard." He paused. "Where is he?"

"Just outside the school boundaries," said McGonagall. "We've put up as many shields as we could; that should stop him for a while, at least."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" asked Neville.

Everything went dark before Harry could answer. Moonlight streaming from the windows was the only source of light, casting shadows on everything. Suddenly, a stabbing sensation coursed through Harry's mind, cutting down his defenses without any difficulty.

Harry struggled to remain standing as the first whisper began.

_Harry Potter…_

He fell heavily on the steps, losing sight of everything around him.

_The moment has finally come…the moment where your time comes to an end…_

Hermione hunched over next to Harry, hands over hears, trying to block out the intrusion.

_I know that you will try to fight…many of you will. Fighting is futile…there is no reason to spill blood tonight._

Ron was still standing, his body tense with a look of pain on his face.

_This can be resolved without trouble, without pain...all you have to do is come to me and no one will be hurt…_

Harry continued to struggle but he knew this last part was directed at him.

_If you don't…they will all suffer…_

All eyes were on Harry as the voice faded away.

Harry's eyes snapped open as he felt a hand on his arm. Hermione was standing over him, the ever present look of worry on her face.

Harry looked around and noticed that everybody looked shaken, even the professors.

"That happened to everybody, didn't it?" asked Harry.

Ron nodded grimly as Hermione said, "Yes."

Harry nodded and looked at Neville. "When is the rest of the Order getting here?"

"They should be here any second. I contacted them when you arrived."

"Voldemort is not going to wait long," said Professor McGonagall. "We need to get the students out as quickly as possible."

Neville nodded. "I know how we can do that."

"Then there's no point in waiting." She turned to the students. "Attention, attention!"

When many of the students failed to hear her, Professor McGonagall aimed her wand at the ceiling, letting loose a series of red sparks, immediately silencing the hall.

"Now, all of you will follow Mr. Longbottom who will direct you out of the castle to safety."

A random voice piped up from the crowd. "What if we want to fight?"

McGonagall's stern expression faltered at the question. After a moment of hesitation she said, "Only fifth years and above will be allowed to fight. Everyone else, follow Mr. Longbottom." It was clear from her tone that the decision was not up for discussion.

Before Neville walked off, McGonagall stopped him. "After you've finished getting the students out of the castle, I need you to destroy the bridge leading to the forest."

Neville's eyes widened. "Destroy it?"

McGonagall nodded. "Anyway you can, although I recommend speaking to Mr. Finnigan. He's sure to have plenty of ideas."

Neville nodded, still looking surprised. "Blimey. Okay, I'll get it done professor."

McGonagall gave him a brief smile. "Now go, quickly."

Neville hurried off with Ginny and Seamus, leading the majority of the students out of the hall.

Just as the students were filing out, the rest of the Order showed up with several aurors accompanying them. In all, there were less than 30 of them.

Lupin quickly walked towards Harry and engulfed him in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're alright," he said as he pulled away.

Harry only had time to smile before Tonks hugged him even tighter. "Wotcher, Harry," she said softly as they hugged. Lupin quickly hugged Hermione, expressing his relief at her safety as well.

Tonks let go and turned to Hermione, smiling brightly at her before pulling her into a hug. As Harry stepped away he noticed Mrs. Weasley hugging the life out of Ron, who was softly patting her back. It wasn't until Mrs. Weasley released Harry and Hermione from her tight embrace that the hugging ended.

A huge bang was heard in the distance.

"He doesn't waste time does he?" asked Ron.

"Alright, we need people stationed throughout the castle," said Kingsley. He turned to a portion of the aurors. "Pair up and head to the north and east wings of the castle. Take several students with you."

Half of the aurors moved away, taking about half of the students with them.

Several bangs interrupted the planning. Everybody stopped to listen; it almost felt like the castle shook with the noise.

Kingsley quickly turned to the rest of the aurors. "Some of you come with me to the west wing. The rest of you stay here with Professor McGonagall."

Lupin, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley were among those to leave with Kingsley; almost half of the remaining students left with them.

The rest of the students gathered around McGonagall and the professors; Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Fleur were among them.

Hermione, Ron and Luna stepped closer to Harry.

"What's the plan now Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry briefly looked at his friend before looking down. All he wanted—needed—to do at that moment was go to Voldemort. He wanted to finish things now with as little bloodshed as possible. He knew he couldn't do that, though; he couldn't leave his friends to fight without him.

"Harry."

He looked up at Hermione. The look on her face said it all; she knew what he was thinking.

Harry sighed. "We need to figure out where Voldemort is because that's where the snake is going to be."

An even bigger bang than those before it shook the inhabitants of the Great Hall to their core; the fear they were feeling was beginning to grow.

Harry walked out of the Great Hall, everybody following behind him. Immediately he noticed that whatever time the shield had given them had run out.

The shield that had encompassed the entire castle now had several gaping holes which were enlarging, the defense crumbling before their eyes.

###

Neville stood at the farthest end of the bridge, watching as the shield fell around him. He wasn't alone.

Hundreds of eyes looked upwards as parts of the shield gave way, some glancing gleefully at the teenage boy, no doubt happy that their chance to hurt him was drawing nearer. From their appearance, Neville knew they were snatchers.

Seconds became minutes as the shield fell away, leaving Hogwarts nearly defenseless on its forest side. Neville remained frozen for a second, watching as some of the snatchers hesitantly stepped forward. Before he knew it, Neville was running for his life, ducking as spells flew by him. He shot his own spell halfway through the bridge, lighting a spark that only he saw. Tiny pops reached his ears as the spark ran through the inner workings of the bridge, weakening the foundations.

"Don't look back, don't look back," he mumbled as he continued to run.

Loud cracks joined the pounding of feet on wood and Neville knew he only had seconds to reach the other side if he wanted to live.

Screams filled the air as the bridge fell away, dropping hundreds of snatchers to their deaths.

Just as he spotted Ginny and the rest of his group on the other side of the bridge, Neville felt the wood fall from underneath him.

"Neville!" screamed Ginny.

Several seconds of silence followed before a hand shot up from below, a wand clutched in its fist. Once she recognizing the wand, Ginny ran to the edge to grasp the hand just as Seamus reached for the other. Together they pulled Neville up, letting him lay for a couple of seconds as he tried to catch his breath. Ginny kneeled next to him, looking him over to check for any injuries.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

He shook his head and smiled weakly at her. "I'm okay."

Without saying anything, Ginny punched him on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" he asked, surprise written all over his face. Seamus snorted, his eyes glinting playfully.

"That was really stupid! You could've died!"

"Well we needed to destroy the bridge! Plus it was Seamus' idea, not mine!" he countered.

Seamus held his hands up. "Hey, don't bring me into this mate."

Ginny continued to glare at him but the look in her eyes suggested she was trying hard not to smile. Realizing this made Neville smile. Not wanting to waste any more time, the three of them stood up and walked to the rest of their group. Several congratulatory pats were given to Neville and Seamus but the happy mood disappeared within seconds.

It was time to fight a war.

###

It is amazing how quickly things can be destroyed, how quickly they come to an end.

After the shield fell completely away, the Hogwarts students, staff, and aurors only had seconds before the attack began. Only seconds before Hogwarts looked like a complete war zone.

The Death Eaters were everywhere. Harry was no longer thinking but acting only on reflex, shooting spells at every enemy that crossed his path. Hermione and Ron were not far from him, doing the same thing.

An archway surrounding the courtyard exploded to his left, coming down on what Harry hoped to be Death Eaters but he couldn't be sure from his vantage point. It was hard to focus on just one thing when various people were trying to attack him. Just when he got rid of one enemy, another would take its place. And it wasn't only enemies grabbing his attention; his fatigue was starting to show as well.

A deadly looking spell whizzed by his ear, barely missing him. Without hesitating he shouted, "Confringo!"

The Death Eater had no time to protect himself as he went up in flames. He fell to the ground trying to put the flames out but it was no use; his body was reduced to ashes in seconds. Harry had no time for the guilt of killing another human being, even a bad one, before someone else began shooting spells at him.

The next Death Eater wasn't much of a challenge. From his appearance, Harry assumed the young man was a new recruit. He quickly glanced around and immediately found Ron, who was dueling with two Death Eaters at once. Harry marveled at his best friends' skill for only a second before moving closer to help.

"Expelliarmus!" he shouted.

One of the Death Eaters was thrown back several feet, slamming into one of the stone archways. The woman didn't move.

Ron quickly defeated the other Death Eater as Harry looked for Hermione. Déjà vu hit him when he finally spotted her near the entrance to the castle.

Her focus was on the man in front of her. Her face was set in intent concentration, sending spell after spell at her enemy, who deftly blocked most of them. That's not what stopped Harry's heart, though.

Another man had his eyes on her but man wasn't the right word. Hair covered his face and ran down his back. His eyes shined with hunger, his teeth bared in anticipation.

Everything fell away around Harry as anger tore through him. His hand tightened on his wand as he ran forward, never taking his eyes off his target. In the back of his mind, a similar situation played out: fifth year in the Department of Mysteries. Dolohov walked towards Hermione, hitting her with an unfamiliar spell. She crumbled to the floor as Harry's world came to a grinding halt.

_Not this time._

Everything came into sharp focus around Hermione as Fenrir Greyback began to reach out.

The Death Eater battling Hermione was momentarily distracted by Greyback, giving Hermione a small moment of advantage.

"Stupefy!"

The Death Eater fell to the ground, unconscious. Sensing someone behind her, Hermione quickly turned around. Greyback towered over her as she backed up, too frozen to react.

Greyback grinned and advanced but not before a spell hit his side.

He turned his head and only had time to spot Harry before another spell was sent his way.

"Sectumsempra!"

The curse hit Greyback square in the chest. His eyes grew wide as he fell on his back. He gasped for air as Harry looked down on him. Rage burned in Harry's eyes as he pointed his wand at the fallen Death Eater, intending to finish him off.

"Harry stop!" said Hermione as she pulled on his wand arm.

He wouldn't budge.

"Harry!"

"He was going to kill you, Hermione," he said in a flat tone. "Or worse."

"Harry, you don't need to do this." Seeing that Harry still wasn't moving, she said urgently, "Harry, please!"

Harry lowered his wand slowly, allowing Hermione to pull him away. Whatever respite they had been given in those couple of seconds ended as several spells were shot at them.

"Protego!" they shouted.

They continued fighting, Harry always aware of Hermione's presence. In several instances, they joined forces, becoming nearly unstoppable. If anybody had the time to actually watch them, they would have seen something truly spectacular.

Ron soon joined them, reinforcing their group even further.

It was while they were fighting a particularly nasty group of Death Eaters that Harry finally spotted him.

Harry hadn't noticed him before but now he saw him walking urgently out of the courtyard, fighting no one but protecting himself whenever necessary. It was obvious he was needed somewhere and quickly.

"Bombarda!" shouted Hermione, her wand pointed at an archway near the Death Eaters.

Ron and Harry didn't give them any time to react before shooting off their own spells.

"Stupefy!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Both spells knocked the Death Eaters directly under the falling archway, pinning them underneath.

Without looking back, Harry began running out of the courtyard. "Come on!"

"Where are we going, Harry?" shouted Ron as he caught up to him.

"We're going to find Snape," said Harry.

He led them out of the courtyard towards a long, winding staircase on the side of the castle.

"Snape? Harry, we need to find the snake," Hermione said.

"I have a feeling Snape will lead us to it." He paused. "And You Know Who."

They quickly walked down the stairs, staying as silent as possible in case Snape was nearby. They neared a small boathouse, coming to a stop when they heard a crack pierce the air.

Harry slowly walked forward, noticing a dark figure slumped against the window inside the boathouse. Blood smeared the window pane. Harry felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he opened the door.

Snape lay in bloody heap, struggling with each breath. His eyes stared unfocused in front of him until Harry came into view.

All of them remained quiet, Hermione and Ron a couple of steps behind. None of them ever thought they would see the potions professor look so…defeated.

Harry pressed his hand to a wound on Snape's neck, knowing there were too many cuts, too much blood lost, for his hand to be of any help.

Snape stared at Harry for a moment before trying to speak. Harry could feel the warmth of the blood under his hand as it left Snape's body.

"Dumble—dore's…office," he gasped. "G—Go."

Harry nodded. "I will."

He looked around at Ron and Hermione.

"Look at me."

Harry turned back at Snape's whisper. Snape was searching his eyes, drinking them in. Harry remained still until Snape's eyes finally looked away.

Harry sighed as he pulled his hand away and stood up.

"Who killed him?" asked Hermione.

"You Know Who." At Hermione and Ron's confused faces, he continued. "He must have realized that Snape was the one who killed Dumbledore and that he wasn't the true master of the Elder wand if Snape was alive."

They all took one final look at the fallen professor before heading back out. Halfway up the stairs, it happened again.

_I tire of the fighting…of all the magical blood being wasted…_

Harry stumbled on the stairs, barely remaining upright. Ron stood with his head between his hands, face tight with pain. Hermione was kneeling, her eyes shut tight.

_Harry Potter, the time has come…come face me in the Forbidden Forest and no one else will be hurt…I will not wait long…_

They soon reached the top of the staircase only to be met with silence. They found only rubble in the courtyard.

"Where did everybody go?" asked Ron.

The silence was broken once they reached the Great Hall. Moans of pain and sorrow filled their ears. Harry took one step and immediately realized this was the last place he wanted to be. Hermione knew this but she was afraid he would leave and never come back so she gently grabbed his hand and pulled him forward.

Everywhere he looked, people were suffering. Several people lay dead, friends crying nearby. Harry could hear his heart beat painfully in his chest.

Hermione's hand slipped from his as fresh moans of despair reached his ears. Ron had left them, joining the group of redheads circled around a body.

"No…no…" Hermione said.

The crowd shifted, giving Harry and Hermione a clear view of the body.

Fred.

If it weren't for the stillness of his chest, Harry would have thought Fred was sleeping. As if, at any moment, he was going to wake up and laugh at all of them.

Ron dropped to his knees, his cries joining the rest. Harry could see the tears quietly running down Hermione's face as he stepped back. His foot hit a stretcher, making him look down. He instantly regretted it.

It was Tonks. A peaceful look was on her face, her hand slightly outstretched.

He quickly looked around, both relieved and worried that he didn't see Remus. He found him near the front of the Great Hall, Madam Promfey leaning over him as she waved her wand rapidly.

_He's still alive._

A tiny burst of hope blossomed in Harry before being squashed out again. He needed to get out of there.

Soon he was heading towards Dumbledore's office, relieved that no one had stopped him.

None of the previous headmasters, not even Dumbledore, spoke to Harry as he entered the office. In front of Dumbledore's old desk floated the pensieve, ready with memories to share. Harry slowly stepped up to it, not sure about what he would see. Snape bleeding to death was the last thing Harry thought of before plunging his head straight in.

_A black haired boy lies next to a red headed girl, a smile on his face as the little girl laughs._

_#_

_The red headed girl with the sorting hat on her head, the brim covering her eyes as it yells "Gryffindor!" _

_The sea of students in front of him as the same hat announces "Slytherin!"_

_#_

_Sitting in the library with the girl, the boy tries to study but fails when a paper ball hits the back of his head. The girl scowls and says, "Just ignore them, Severus. They're nothing but idiots."_

_#_

_Older now, the boy stares as the raven haired boy with glasses playfully pulls the girl's hair, a small smile appearing on her face._

_#_

_The girl sits with a group of boys, the raven haired boy, a pale boy with sandy hair, a small, pudgy boy, and a loud boy with shoulder length dark hair. She laughs at a joke they tell, briefly glancing at the boy and tilting her head. The boy shakes his head and walks away. _

#

"_They're not that bad, Severus, you just have to get to know them," says the girl patiently as they sit outside by the lake._

"_Not that bad? Who's the one that always said they were idiots?" the boy asks incredulously._

_She looks at him. "I did but that was before. I admit they can be idiotic at times but they don't mean any harm."_

"_Not to you maybe."_

_The girl sighs. "Sev, just join us one day. You'll see what I'm talking about."_

_The boy scowls. "You act like they would actually let me join you. Don't you know they hate me?"_

"_Only because you hate them. You act like you're superior to them."_

"_They do the same thing! Don't act like this is one sided," he says loudly._

_The girl frowns and picks up her bag. "Fine, do what you want," she says as she stands. "I'll see you later."_

#

"_You like him, don't you?" asks the boy, now much older than before. They walk down an empty corridor towards the Gryffindor common room. Shadows have begun to hug the walls as the sun nears the horizon._

"_Who?" she asks._

_He stares. "Don't act dumb, Lily. It doesn't suit you."_

_She smiles at the compliment but it quickly fades once she looks at him. She ignores the question and continues walking._

_He remains quiet before saying, "I'll take that as a yes."_

_She stops and looks at him. "I couldn't help it, okay? I told you he's not a bad guy."_

"_He's an idiot, Lily, everybody knows it."_

"_No, that's what you believe. You're so stubborn that you don't give anybody a chance," she says, the anger rising in her voice._

"_He doesn't deserve you. You're too smart, too beautiful for him. He won't appreciate you." He pauses. "You deserve someone smarter, someone who understands you."_

"_And who would that be, Severus? You?" she snaps._

_The boy stays quiet, trying to hide the pain in his eyes. The girl's expression immediately softens._

"_I'm sorry, Sev. I didn't mean for that to sound so mean." She reaches out a hand but he pulls away._

"_No, you're right." Anger has replaced the pain. "Fine, choose him. He deserves a mudblood."_

_The pain is immediate. The girl looks at him, a look of disbelief on her face. _

"_I can't believe you just said that."_

_The boy falters for a moment before hardening his expression._

_She glares at him. "Next time you see me, don't talk to me."_

_She walks away, leaving the boy in the darkening corridor. He lowers his head, trying to hold the tears in._

#

"_You need to protect her!" says the boy, who is no longer a boy. "He thinks it's her son!"_

_An old man with twinkling blue eyes and half moon spectacles looks at him gravely. "What will you do for me?"_

_The man doesn't hesitate. "Anything."_

_#_

_The man is distraught as he looks at the older man. "You told me you would protect her! You failed!"_

_The older man doesn't flinch at the accusation. He stares at the younger man with patient but grieving eyes. "Lily and James made the mistake of trusting the wrong person. None of us thought Pettigrew had anything to do with Voldemort. Not even you."_

_The old man remains silent for a moment before saying, "The boy has been sent—"_

"_That doesn't matter now!"_

"_Oh, but it does, Severus. You may think the Dark Lord is gone but he will return." He pauses. "You said you would do anything to protect Lily. This is her _son_, the person she died to protect."_

_The man remains quiet._

"_I need you to help me, Severus. Continue what Lily did even in her last moments. Help me protect the boy."_

_The man looks away, not wanting to take on this burden._

"_He has her eyes."_

_The man's gaze snaps back to the old man. Defeat settles over his face. "You cannot tell _anyone."

_A small smile appears on the old man's face. "Don't worry, Severus, I will never reveal the best of you."_

_#_

_The man sits on the floor, tears running down his face as he holds the red headed woman in his arms. His face is filled with pain, his mouth open as sobs escape him. A baby boy cries with him as he watches from his crib._

#

"_There is something you must know, Severus." The old man sits behind his desk. His blue eyes are no longer twinkling._

_That man stands in front of him, remaining silent._

"_There is a reason why Harry and Voldemort are so connected; a reason why Harry can speak Parseltongue."_

_Still the man remains quiet._

"_The night Voldemort tried to kill Harry, a piece of his soul latched on to the only living thing near it: Harry."_

_The man's face changes as he realizes what this means._

"_You mean he's—"_

_The old man nods gravely. "Yes, Harry is a horcrux."_

"_Then this means the boy must…die?"_

_The old man sags in his chair, a solemn look on his face. "Yes, he must die. And Voldemort has to do it himself. That is important, Severus."_

_A hard look settles on the man's face. "You've had me protecting a boy that was meant to die from the beginning? You've been using him and me."_

"_I did what was necessary, Severus."_

_The man looks away._

"_Don't tell me you care for him now."_

_The man's eyes narrow. He pulls out his wand and softly says, "Expecto Patronum."_

_A doe bursts forth and prances around the office before coming to stand in front of the man. It looks at the old man before fading away._

_The old man looks up, a surprised look on his face. "After all this time?"_

_The man stares back resolutely. "Always."_

#

Harry's head snapped back, the memories still swimming in his head. He leaned heavily against a pillar, his eyes glazed, unfocused.

It didn't seem real. He felt as if at any moment he was going to wake up and realize that he was still at Shell Cottage, getting ready for battle.

Harry slid down the pillar, struggling to breath, the weight of the truth pushing everything in around him.

_Yes, he must die. _

The world fell around him, crushing whatever hopes he had for a future. All of the struggle, all of the pain, felt worthless knowing he would never survive the outcome. His destiny had been decided for him all of his life and now he felt foolish for thinking it would ever have changed.

_But it isn't worthless. Others will live better, safer, lives because of you._

Hermione, Ron, the Weasleys', all of them would be safe. _Hermione would be safe._

Harry knew the portrait of Dumbledore was staring at him but he didn't have the strength to face him. The anger he had expected to feel for his old headmaster never appeared and he was sure it never would. He knew Dumbledore never wanted this for him but Harry understood that not being told was necessary. How would he have lived his life if he had known that his life would be cut short? He would have pushed everyone away, not getting close to anyone knowing he would eventually lose them. He would never have learned what friendship was, what love was. It was a painful but necessary decision on Dumbledore's part.

Harry sighed heavily as he slowly stood up. It was now or never.

He walked out of the office, never looking back. As the door closed behind him a voice quietly said, "I'm sorry, Harry."

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is. I hope it didn't seem to similar to you guys. Something I couldn't change was Fred's death. It's painful, but I feel like that was necessary. People die in wars all the time, even the good ones. I had to go with the movie version of Fred's death because I couldn't bear having to write out my own version. I don't know how JKR did it. Another thing I loved from the movies was Snape's memories. I'm sure that particular moment is a favorite of almost everyone. It's so emotional; I bawled the first time I saw it and I still tear up every time I see it. It's so powerful and the shot of Snape crying while he holds Lily in his arms is burned into my memory. Something different: Remus isn't dead. Whether or not he stays that way remains to be seen but...well, yeah I'll just leave that there.<strong>

**Now, if you wouldn't mind, let me know what you think! Review!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I am so SORRY. It's been forever since I last updated. School just got really hectic...it was disgusting; I had no time to write. To be honest, I also had a minor writer's block so, yeah. Anyway, I finally finished and I've started the next chapter so hopefully that should be up soon. This chapter has kind of a huge moment...a moment many of you have been waiting for. I just hope it delivers :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

Harry slowly walked through the castle, nothing but ruins meeting him as he headed towards the exit.

The moon was high in the sky, marking the late hour of the day. He noted that he didn't know the time but quickly realized it didn't matter. His time was quickly coming to an end.

He walked out of the castle, somewhat surprised, but relieved, that he hadn't run into anyone. He had reached the bottom of the steps in front of the entrance when he realized he had thought too soon.

"So you were going to leave without saying goodbye?"

He cringed. This was the last person he had wanted to see before the end. She was the only one who could change his mind, the only one who could make him forget what he needed to do.

He had been _so close. _

Harry's jaw clenched. "You know why I couldn't do that, Hermione." He still hadn't turned around.

She walked around, coming to stand in front of him. The anger he had expected to see was there but the sadness was threatening to overtake it.

"You can't go." Her face was set in determination but her voice quivered at the last word.

Harry sighed. "I can't let this go on any longer, Hermione. He'll kill us all."

"And you think he's not going to kill us after you? You can't believe that, Harry."

_This is taking too long_. He needed to leave now before he lost all resolve.

"I have to do this. I _have_ to."

Hermione blinked. Her breathing increased, fear and dread clear in her eyes. She was afraid of asking her next question. "What happened in Dumbledore's office?"

He looked away. "You were right about Snape. He was on our side all along."

She knew there was more and she wasn't going to let it go until he told her everything. "What else?"

He couldn't look at her. Impatient, she took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Harry, what else?"

He stared at her for a couple of seconds, branding her features into his brain. "You were right about that, too," he whispered.

She let him go, tears coming to her eyes. She shook her head.

"I think you've known for a while now." He paused as he felt the sting in his eyes. "That's why you were acting so strange around me sometimes."

The tears were threatening to spill over. Hermione felt her control slipping at Harry's words. She didn't want to be right, not about this.

"No, Harry…it can't…you can't…" she said, her voice breaking as she tried to keep herself put together.

His resolve was slipping faster than he had anticipated. Her tears hurt him, making him wish that the truth didn't have to come from him. He had known for some time what Hermione had been thinking; it was a thought that had occurred to him several times. Each time it happened, he rejected the thought immediately, instead focusing on the task at hand. As soon as he realized that Hermione was thinking the same, Harry felt a heavy sense of dread overtake him. She had come to the same conclusion as him and that had frightened him beyond belief.

She was shaking her head again, the tears spilling down her face. "It must be a mistake…Dumbledore…he can m-make mistakes."

He smiled at her sadly. "Two brilliant people can't make the same mistake."

She could only stare at him, her face crumbling in tears. Her voice broke as she said, "I'll go with you."

Harry frowned, eyes narrowed. "No."

She stepped closer to him. "Harry..."

He couldn't believe what she was saying. And he couldn't believe himself for the half second where he wished she could.

"No, Hermione, you can't. After I'm gone, it's only the snake. You need to help Ron kill it." He stepped forward and grabbed her arms. "You are going to survive this, Hermione. You're going to live a long and happy life. You have to do this for me."

She swallowed. "I don't…I can't…"

"Yes, you _can_. Hermione, I need you to promise me. Whatever happens, I need you to promise me that you'll fight, that you won't give up."

She just stared at him, the tears falling freely.

Harry shook her slightly. "Hermione, _promise_ me."

After a moment, she nodded slightly. "I promise," she whispered.

Harry nodded, a slight hint of relief in his eyes. "Thank you."

He began to pull away but Hermione pulled him into a hug, her arms tight around him. Harry's arms immediately wrapped around her, his face buried in her neck.

Hermione relished his warmth, the strength of his arms around her. Her arms tightened even further around him as she moved her lips close to his ear.

"Dancing with you was one of the happiest moments of my life," she whispered.

The tears finally spilled as pain gripped his heart. He gripped her tighter, wishing he could stay with her forever.

Slowly he pulled away, cupping her face in his hands. His thumbs wiped away the tears, his eyes never leaving hers. This was the woman who had been with him through it all, the woman he wished he could spend forever with.

She reached up to wipe his, drilling his face into her memory. She was never going to forget those emerald eyes, the glasses, the messy hair, the crooked smile, the scar. No matter how long she lived, he would always be with her and she would always be his.

"I love you, Hermione," he whispered.

The tears he had just wiped away were quickly replaced with more as she took in his words.

"I love you, too," she said, her voice thick with tears.

He smiled before leaning his head forward, brushing her lips with his. She didn't hesitate and pulled him closer. Everything they felt for each other was poured into the kiss. Her hands moved up his neck, her fingers running through his hair. He wrapped his arms around her body, leaving no space between them. Their mouths dueled with each other, heads tilting this way and that as they tried to show each other every emotion coursing through them. Love, pain, sadness, regret, passion, desire.

Slowly, their kisses became softer, gentler. Hermione loosened her hold on his hair, kissing him gently, adding his lips to the list of things she would never forget. He kissed her one more time, a kiss so gentle, so full of love, that she nearly lost it again; it took all of her remaining, albeit meager, self-control not to beg him again to take her with him. He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled softly.

"Thank you for everything," he whispered, pressing a final kiss on her forehead.

She shook her head slightly, fighting the tears again. "I love you, Harry Potter."

He looked at her. "I love you, Hermione Granger."

He loosened his hold on her and stepped back. The tears were running down her face again as she held onto his hands. He brought them up to his lips, kissing them lightly. Gently, he let go and walked away.

Hermione kneeled on the floor as the sobs escaped her. Her arms wrapped around herself tightly as she watched him, not knowing how she would get up again.

###

It took everything he had not to go running back to her. To feel safe with her arms wrapped around him. The pain of knowing that it would never happen again was unbelievable.

He shook his head._ She's going to survive this. She's going to live a happy and long life._

This was the only thought that kept him going.

The forest surrounded him before he knew it. He turned slowly and stared at the castle that had been his home for 6 years. Spells had torn through several of the roofs, leaving gaping holes, the biggest of which was in Gryffindor Tower. He could see where fires had burned, where pillars had crumbled. Before him stood a nearly broken Hogwarts but all Harry could think of was the Hogwarts he first saw when he was 11. How it had stood proudly, glowing in the night, only hinting at the many wonders waiting inside. The sight had rendered him speechless and he knew that image would forever stay with him. He smiled wistfully as he turned around, knowing that it would soon be restored to its usual splendor.

###

Voldemort's patience was quickly disappearing as he stood in the forest, surrounded by his followers. The air was tense, every Death Eater afraid of what was to come if the boy didn't show up. Bellatrix was the only one moving, glancing at the Dark Lord every once in a while as she paced.

Several of the Death Eaters had ropes in their hands, pulling at them whenever the half-giant struggled. Hagrid's eyes were constantly moving as he scanned his surroundings, fervently hoping he wouldn't he see Harry.

Bellatrix slowly walked toward Voldemort but still maintained her distance. "My lord," she said, her head bowed, "what if the boy doesn't come?"

Voldemort made no notion of having heard her, keeping his back to all of them. Once they all thought he had ignored the question, he softly said, "He will come."

###

It was a strange thing, knowing you were about to die.

It was an idea that had been with Harry for so long now, but it had been just that: an idea. It had never been as real as it felt now. He always knew it would be painful, to leave those he loved behind, but he had never thought he would feel relief. It was a selfish thing to feel and, yet, there it was. In a few moments, it would all be over.

Harry kept a steady pace as he walked, not really knowing where he was going. It was as if his body knew where the end lay, leading his feet to it.

The trees soon began to thin out, giving way to wider spaces. Harry slowed, the tension in the air palpable. He closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath before moving forward.

Their stillness was the first thing he noticed as he saw them; it was unnerving. They all looked taught, like string ready to snap. Their leader stood away from them, head bowed, fingers tight around the Elder wand. As Harry continued walking, someone gasped causing Voldemort to finally look up. Victory flashed in his eyes.

"No, 'Arry!" yelled Hagrid. The ropes around him tightened, forcing his silence.

Voldemort remained silent, watching Harry as he stopped a couple of feet away. Neither said a thing as they stared at each other.

After a moment, Voldemort smirked. "How nice of you to finally join us, Harry Potter."

Harry remained silent, never looking away.

The Death Eaters all looked at Harry, no one daring to look away. Excitement had now joined the tension in the air.

"I must say I am slightly disappointed at your tardiness," Voldemort said. "Knowing you, I had expected you here as soon as I made my announcement."

Hundreds of retorts ran through Harry's mind but he didn't see the point of saying any. Nothing he said would change the outcome of this moment.

"Nevertheless, you should be proud. Here you are, the Boy Who Lived, alone and ready to die. It's rather brave." Voldemort paused. "Of course, no one will know this. People will only hear of the weak boy who pleaded for the mercy of death."

Voldemort moved forward, lifting his wand. "Should I make this easy… or painful?"

Harry's jaw clenched at the idea of more pain, of having to suffer through Voldemort's torture. He would scream, he would look weak.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry. "I'm nothing if not merciful."

Harry closed his eyes.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Hermione's smile as they danced was the last thing he thought of before the spell hit him.

###

As the spell hit Harry, throwing him back, Voldemort crumbled to the ground, feeling as if something had been ripped from him.

The Death Eaters all moved closer, but none dared to get too close. Bellatrix was the only one who got close enough to touch.

"My lord!" she said, kneeling close to him.

Voldemort ignored her as he struggled to his feet. He still felt powerful, but somehow weaker, as if he was missing something.

He looked over at the crumbled body. It lay face down, motionless.

A lone figure moved from the pack of Death Eaters towards the body. She walked quickly, kneeling down and reaching a hand towards the boy's neck.

"Is he alive?"

##

He felt light, almost like floating.

Harry opened his eyes and immediately felt like he hadn't at all. He blinked a couple of times until he realized he was in total darkness. He moved his head, trying to discern something from the darkness but found nothing.

He remained still, not knowing what to do. Any panic he would have felt before didn't come, however. It was strange, being in such a dark place and still feeling completely safe and at ease.

A shiver ran through his body, raising goosebumps all over. He rubbed his arm and froze: he could see his hand. He raised it in front of his face and realized that a faint light was coming from his right. He quickly started walking towards it, completely forgetting about his surroundings. As he walked, the light became bigger but still felt beyond reach. Harry walked faster, wanting to get out of the darkness.

A faint voice reached his ears, stopping him in his tracks. It was so quiet, he almost didn't hear it but he recognized it immediately. He strained his ears, wanting to hear it again, to make sure it hadn't been just a figment of his imagination.

_Harry…_

Harry's head snapped to his left, to where he had just come from.

_Harry…_

The light grew brighter, beckoning him towards it. Harry looked towards it just as the voice called out again.

Without thinking, his feet stepped forward, moving away from the light. He could feel the warmth of the light as he walked away, the brightness dimming.

The voice grew stronger as he walked towards it, filling Harry with a profound longing. He started running, wanting nothing more than to reach the voice and its owner. His feet kept moving until he felt like he was falling, the voice ringing in his ears.

##

He could feel drops of water falling on his face. Two strong arms carrying him, holding him. He could hear voices, the wind as it rustled through the trees.

Harry cracked his eyes open and soon realized where the water was coming from. Hagrid was carrying him, his face in a daze as tears rolled down his cheeks. He quickly closed his eyes, listening to the voice that rose above everything else.

"Now is the time to join us."

Silence was the only response.

"Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived," spat Voldemort, "is dead! He's dead! Why continue fighting when your _hero _gave up?"

Suddenly, a new voice rang out. "He didn't give up! He fought for us, gave his life for us!" It was Neville. "His sacrifice won't be in vain! I won't stop fighting until you're dead!"

Voldemort cried out as if in pain, noise erupting all around.

##

Hermione felt empty, Voldemort's speech falling deaf to her ears.

Once she realized who Hagrid was carrying, she shut down, blind to her surroundings. Harry's body was limp in Hagrid's arms and it was a miracle that Hermione's own body remained upright.

She didn't know how long she had stayed on the ground after Harry left. Tears had run down her face, her sobs racking her whole body. It still surprised her that she could cry so much, that she had any tears left.

Knowing that she was about to lose him was the most painful thing she had ever experienced. At least that's what she had thought. It was as if she had hoped against hope that something would happen, that like so many times before, Harry would face death and come out alive on the other side. As the tears ran down her face, Hermione had naively hoped that Harry would return, bloody and bruised, but alive. That he would pick her up and hug her like never before.

All of that vanished once she saw Harry in Hagrid's arms. For a brief second, the most excruciating pain hit her as her heart was ripped out of her chest. She couldn't shout, she couldn't move, she could barely breathe at the sight. Then, she went numb. Her promise to Harry, that she would continue to fight, that she would live, was pushed to the back of her mind, to be forgotten. Her senses registered nothing, not the shouts of distress from her allies or the cackles of her enemies. All she could see was Harry and how he wasn't moving.

Ron forcefully grabbed her arm, bringing her back briefly. She saw how Neville was shouting, holding the sorting hat in his hands. She saw how Voldemort's snake shot up as Neville walked forward, ready to end his life with a bite. How a sword slipped from the hat into Neville's hands and how he quickly brought it down on the snake, slicing its head off.

Voldemort screamed as if in pain, bringing everything into focus for Hermione. Spells shot out from both sides, creating pandemonium. As she fought, she briefly glanced to where Hagrid was standing with Harry in his arms and nearly froze.

Harry was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is. Please let me know what you guys think. Again, I apologize for the long wait but I should be done with the story soon. I'm thinking there's only going to be about two chapters left.<strong>

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**So I had originally intended to have at least two chapters more for the story but once I finished one of them I realized it was way too short. So, I decided to combine the last two chapters together. Which means that, technically, this is the last chapter. I honestly can't believe it...I actually stuck with it! I'm so proud of myself :) If only my papers were this easy to write...anyway, here it is.**

**I hope you enjoy it :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

Harry's eyes snapped open as the noise roared in his ears. He leaned over and fell out of Hagrid's arms, hitting the ground rather hard. He ignored the pain as he quickly shot up and ran, knowing that Voldemort would soon notice that the boy he thought was dead was still living.

Hagrid's shout met his ears but he kept running, avoiding many of the fighters around him. Only a couple of heads turned as he ran, very few noticing that it was actually him. He kept running, wanting to lure Voldemort away from the fight, away from his friends.

As he reached the end of the courtyard, he heard it. Voldemort's shout was unmistakable, the anger and frustration palpable. A powerful crack rent the air as Voldemort disapparated, his anger making him blind to everything else.

Harry had entered the castle, slowing down as he walked the corridors. Every noise had him turning, his wand at the ready. He knew Voldemort was beyond waiting at this point, making him even more dangerous.

A slight gust of wind was the only warning. Harry quickly turned, his wand's reaction immediate as he faced Voldemort. Red and green met, both fighting for dominance.

Harry's hand jerked sideways, causing a burst of rubble to shoot towards them. Voldemort disappeared as Harry leapt to the side. He quickly stood up, looking all around for any sign of Voldemort.

"I bet you're wondering why it's not working for you," he said as he walked forward. "Why doesn't the wand work, Tom?"

He heard a light shuffle behind him and, without thinking, threw himself sideways just as a jet of green light crashed into a staircase, right where Harry was standing.

Harry turned and shouted "_Expelliarmus_!"

Voldemort brought his wand down, easily blocking the spell with a sneer.

"You are weak, boy." He stared with cold eyes. "Do you really think you can defeat me?"

Harry backed away, never lowering his wand. "You don't feel weak, Tom? As if something is missing?"

Anger flared in Voldemort's eyes.

"_Crucio_!"

"_Protego_!"

The curse bounced off, exploding against the corridor walls.

"You have been a nuisance for far too long." Voldemort's tone is calm but the underlying anger is apparent.

Harry kept moving without thinking, a small smile on his face.

"I think I can help you, though, Tom."

The Dark Lord's features didn't change, causing Harry to continue.

"I know what you're thinking. Snape Killed Dumbledore and you killed Snape." He paused. "So why isn't the wand working for you?"

Voldemort scowled, shooting curse after curse at Harry. Harry quickly blocked them, never stopping his movement.

The corridors were empty, silent. The battle outside was still a distant noise but it was becoming more prominent as they continue moving. Voldemort continued pushing Harry back, never allowing him the chance to retaliate.

"The wand doesn't belong to you, Tom! You're not its true master!"

Voldemort finally relented, hearing Harry's shouts over the spells. They came to the bottom of the Grand Staircase, the battle outside now mere feet away from them.

"Snape killed Dumbledore but Draco Malfoy disarmed him first. He became the master then."

Voldemort continued pushing him backwards, towards the great doors leading to the courtyard. The noise of battle was now all they could hear. This new information didn't seem to faze Voldemort; his features remained passive, only his eyes showing his true anger.

"That's not it, though," Harry said. "What you don't know is that I disarmed him back at Malfoy Manor."

Voldemort paused for a brief second as realization hit.

"The wand belongs to me."

The air around them crackled as Voldemort's anger intensified. His features contorted in anger just as a blast of energy hit Harry, sending him backwards through the doors. He landed a few feet away in the midst of battle.

Everyone outside froze as Voldemort stepped through the doors. Any reaction to Harry being alive was short lived as Voldemort moved forward, his eyes on no one but Harry.

Suddenly, a figure moved through the crowd, sending a curse toward a group of students. Spells were shot back, causing the battle to begin again.

Hermione and Ron stayed close together, both finding it hard to focus on their opponents. The sight of Harry only a couple of feet away, alive, was one of the best they had ever seen but the terror had returned. Voldemort's rage was palpable; they both knew they could lose Harry again.

Voldemort had resumed his attack on Harry, the curses shooting out of his wand. He was unrelenting, giving Harry little time to defend himself. The other fighters unconsciously gave them a wide berth, creating a circle around them that no one dared enter.

Harry's body screamed with fatigue, wanting nothing more than to just give up and lay down. Whatever energy Harry had left was quickly leaving him. He fought without thinking, his mind and wand so connected that forming coherent thoughts was no longer necessary; his fighting was pure instinct.

Hermione quickly glanced towards Harry, completely in awe at what she saw. The spells were flying back and forth between them, Harry's face set in absolute concentration. She could feel the air ripple with the intensity of their fight. Her thoughts were broken as a spell came her way, barely missing her.

"Hermione, focus!" shouted Ron.

Everything seemed to slow down after that.

Bellatrix moved forward, a green curse shooting from her wand, barely missing its target. Ginny moved forward, the surprise quickly disappearing from her face. Neville soon joined her, his eyes blazing with anger as he fired spells at the Death Eater. Spells bounced back and forth, Bellatrix easily handling both of them. A curse suddenly broke through Ginny's shield, causing her to stumble backwards.

"Ginny!" shouted Neville.

Bellatrix cackled. "Oh, did I hurt your little girlfriend?"

Ginny waved Neville off, showing him that she was okay. He didn't waste any time, firing spells so strong that they caught the Death Eater off guard. He was relentless in his attack, matching Bellatrix spell for spell.

"The little boy knows how to fight, doesn't he?" she said, still cackling. "You're parents knew how to fight, too, didn't they? Too bad that didn't help them."

Neville's anger surged forward, causing one of his curses to burst through Bellatrix's shield. The curse hit her dead center, sending her backwards to land in a crumpled heap. Seconds passed and she did not get up.

Voldemort suddenly screamed, his attention pulled away from Harry as he saw his most loyal follower dead on the ground.

It seemed impossible for the air to become any tenser but it did. Voldemort was beyond logic and thought; his thirst for revenge was the only thing pulling him forward.

Voldemort turned just as Harry turned toward him.

Silence filled the air for a split second.

"_Avada Kadavra_!"

"_Expelliarmus_!"

The spells collided against each other, both stronger and fiercer than before. The air was filled with power, everyone standing in awe at the sight.

Harry couldn't move, he couldn't think. All he could see was Voldemort, the rage in his eyes; his intent to murder. The determination he felt, the power, was more than he had ever felt before; magic was coursing through him in powerful waves, giving him much needed energy.

The spells continued to fight against each other, creating a magical, and deadlier, tug of war. The red pushed forward, gaining ground, before being pushed back by the jet of green. Harry could feel himself losing ground; he could feel Voldemort's power, the enormity of it, as it threatened to over take him. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on for but he continued to fight, never backing down.

Everyone was rooted to their spot, the spectacle before them demanding nothing less. Hermione stared with equal parts fear and admiration. Harry's power could not be denied. She had always known he was talented despite his penchant for laziness and she had seen it countless times. This was different, however. What she saw before her was much more than any normal seventeen-year-old could do. She doubted neither she nor Ron could handle this type of power.

She was afraid, though. Harry was powerful, yes, but so was Voldemort. More powerful, even. She didn't know how long Harry could hold on. She had wanted to step forward several times, to help him, but found that she couldn't. It was as if a force field surrounded them, created by the sheer power of the battle.

The battle raged on when, suddenly, Harry felt a break, allowing him to push forward. It was as if the dam was slowly breaking, slowly allowing him easier access. Voldemort's eyes widened for a second before quickly returning to their concentrated state. Harry surged forward, watching the green jet of light begin to disappear into Voldemort's wand with surprise. The red light emitting for Harry's wand steadily moved forward, the resistance becoming weaker by the second.

Voldemort's features became unsettled, revealing the inner turmoil.

An explosion of light appeared where the two spells connected, nearly blinding. Harry felt the dam break, watching as the red overtook the green, sending it back to his owner. Voldemort watched with wide eyes as his curse began to shrink, reverting back into his own body.

A loud crack pierced the air as Harry's spell finally won, knocking Voldemort to his knees. Everybody watched with bated breath as the Dark Lord clutched at his body, the curse ripping through it. A scream of pain rent the air before being cut short, dying as Voldemort's body hit the ground.

Everyone remained silent as the reality sunk in: Voldemort was dead.

Harry could only stare at the body, a part of him afraid that Voldemort would get up again. A couple of seconds passed before relief started to seep in. Voldemort wasn't getting up. It was over.

The relief was quickly swept away as the fatigue hit Harry full force. He crumbled to the floor as his legs gave out, commotion erupting all around. He could hear his name being shouted over the noise as his eyes began to close.

Chocolate brown met emerald green before everything went black.

####

Light slowly filled the room as Harry opened his eyes, the familiar ceiling of the hospital wing filling his vision.

His mind was blissfully blank before he remembered what had happened: he, Harry Potter, had defeated Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard of the age.

Harry stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before pinching himself, hardly believing it to be true.

He looked to his left, a small smile pulling at his lips, before quickly shooting up at what he saw. A wave of dizziness immediately hit him, forcing him to slow down. He slowly lifted his sheets and set his feet on the ground, sitting for a couple of seconds as the last of the dizziness wore off.

He put his glasses on as he stood up and walked to the bed next to his, hoping that what he saw was real.

Remus was laying there, cuts on his face, his arm in a sling…alive. Harry could see the slow rise and fall of his chest, the peacefulness of his features as he slept. A burst of happiness swept through Harry at the sight. He hadn't lost the only connection he had to his parents. He hadn't lost the closest thing he had to a father.

A real smile appeared on his face as he looked around the hospital wing. Many of the beds were full, all of the patients asleep. A small feeling of worry settled over Harry. Where were Ron and Hermione?

He looked to his bed stand for his wand and found not only his, but the Elder wand as well. Harry slowly picked it up, wondering why they had left this with him. Were they expecting him to keep it?

Harry looked at Remus one final time before walking down the row of beds towards the doors, hoping Madame Pomfrey wouldn't see him.

The castle was silent as he walked, the sun filtering through the windows, making the corridors glow.

The destruction of the battle was still visible, rubble strewn here and there, but it seemed that some work had already been done to restore the castle. Most of the windows he saw were intact and the corridors were cleaner than he remembered. Some columns and stairs still showed the damage they had acquired during the battle but Harry was sure they would be fixed in no time.

Noise met his ears as he reached the Great Hall. He slowed down and peered in the doors, not wanting to be seen yet.

The four house tables were back with people sitting randomly throughout as they ate their breakfast. Harry's eyes immediately found Hermione, filling him with intense happiness. Harry smiled, drinking in the image. She was talking to Neville and Ginny, who were sitting across from her. Ginny was resting her head on Neville's shoulder, their hands entwined. Harry smiled, relived that he didn't feel anything other than happiness for his friends. He could see Ron sitting next to Hermione, a smile on his face as he looked at Luna. Her eyes were bright as she talked and Harry could only imagine what she was saying.

Harry wanted to join them desperately but he needed to do something first. With a last look at his friends, Harry walked away, not noticing when a certain bookworm glanced his way.

Harry walked out of the castle, across the ruins of the courtyard to the bridge that led to the forest.

_Only a couple of hours ago I was walking this exact same path thinking I was going to die…now, Voldemort is dead._

Harry shook his head, still not fully believing his reality.

He took out the Elder wand and walked towards the edge of the bridge, staring at it in wonder. He had to admit that a small part of him wondered what it would be like if he kept the wand, what he could do with it. He could easily defeat any of Voldemort's remaining supporters and any future evil doers. His power would be unquestioned.

_It's not about that, though._

Harry knew that as long as this wand existed, people would fight, would kill, to have it. If Harry kept the wand, he would have the responsibility of never losing it. He wasn't blind; he knew he had considerable talent but the responsibility to always win was a daunting one.

"Why didn't it work for him?"

Harry's head snapped to his left, nearly dropping the wand. Hermione and Ron stood before him, looks of curiosity on their faces.

Hermione _was_ curious and it was all she could do to not run over to Harry and hug the living daylights out of him. Ron was feeling something similar, though not as strongly.

Harry smiled and looked down at the wand. "Because the wand didn't belong to Snape like Voldemort thought." He looked at them. "Malfoy disarmed Dumbledore before he died making Malfoy the real master…but then I disarmed Malfoy at the manor."

Both of their eyes grew wide at what he was implying.

"So it's yours?" asked Ron.

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

Hermione stared at him. "What are you going to do with it?"

Harry looked down at the wand again. He stared at it for a moment before grabbing it with both hands, bending the ends down. The wand snapped after a moment, leaving one half in each of Harry's hands.

Ron flinched as the wand snapped, his brow furrowed. His features quickly calmed as he said, "I guess it's better that way isn't it?"

Harry nodded and turned around, hurling the pieces over the bridge.

Hermione smiled as Ron walked forward, stopping behind Harry.

Harry turned and smiled at his best friend. "Too bad we don't get to rule the world, huh?"

Ron smiled. "Yeah, too bad." He paused. "It's good to see you, mate."

Harry walked forward and hugged him, feeling Ron clap him on the back. They pulled back and smiled at each other before Ron turned away. He looked at Hermione and smiled.

"I should go see if mum and dad are up yet," he said. "See you guys in a bit?"

Harry and Hermione nodded.

They watched him go before Hermione turned to look at Harry, a smile on her face.

"I think he's got a thing for Luna."

"Yeah, I think you're right." He smirked. "As usual."

She remained quiet, wanting to bring something up but not knowing how. _Just say it._

"So…Neville and Ginny seemed to have grown closer." She paused. "That's what I noticed anyway."

Harry tried not to smile. He knew what she was doing.

"Well… good for them. Neville's a great guy; he'll make her happy."

Hermione let out a small breath. She knew it was silly but she had needed to know. "Yeah, I'm sure he will," she said, smiling.

Her smile grew as they continued to stare at each other.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

Her smile dimmed. "Two days."

He looked away, nodding.

"What happened, Harry?"

He looked at her. "I'm not really sure."

Hermione took a step forward. "I thought you were dead," she whispered.

"I was…at least I think I was."

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Voldemort used the killing curse on me." He paused. "Then I was in this dark place...there was a light and I was walking towards it but then... I heard a voice."

Hermione remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.

He looked at her. "It was your voice."

"My voice?" she asked, surprised.

"You were saying my name so I walked towards it. It got louder the closer I got to it but it felt like I would never reach it. Then I woke up."

They remained quiet for a moment.

"You're what brought me back."

Hermione couldn't hold back anymore. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed Harry by the neck and pressed her lips to his.

Harry froze for a second before wrapping his arms around her, bringing her closer to him.

The kiss started off slow and gentle with their lips pressed against each other as they savored the feeling. Hermione moved her head and the kiss quickly changed. It resembled their first kiss, happiness replacing the despair of before. They were flush against each other, their lips expressing their profound happiness and relief at being together again. Hermione gripped Harry's shirt with one hand, the other buried in his hair as the kiss intensified.

Harry didn't think he'd ever been this happy. The feel of Hermione's lips against his, knowing they were safe, nearly made his heart burst with joy.

They broke apart, both of them gasping for air.

"Wow," Hermione gasped.

"Yeah…wow," Harry said, still trying to catch his breath.

Hermione looked at him and there it was. It was the look she had wanted to see more than anything else.

Harry was smiling at her, his signature crooked smile, the look of relief and utter happiness apparent in his eyes.

Hermione smiled back, her heart bursting with joy. She hugged him, relishing the fact that this was only one of many hugs to come.

"I love you, Harry Potter."

"I love you, Hermione Granger."

It was in her arms that Harry finally believed his reality. It was finally over.

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><p><strong>Now, what kind of person would I be if I didn't include an epilogue?<strong>

**Thanks for reading :)**


	22. Epilogue

**So this is it. I actually finished this story. Well, I just want to thank everyone who read and reviewed. Without that support, I don't think I would have gotten far with this story. I really enjoyed writing this story and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it just as much. Thank you so much!**

**A very special thank you to my friend, Andrei, who was there for me every step of the way :)**

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything.**

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

**Nineteen years later**

The station bustled with people, all walking briskly to reach their destination.

People walked along, not giving the trolley with the bulky trunk a second glance. The black haired boy pushing the trolley received the same attention.

An anxious look crossed the boy's features as he reached the platform between nine and ten. He slowed, looking at the brick wall with hesitancy.

A warm hand settled on his shoulder, causing soft, brown eyes to look up. A bespectacled man smiled down at him.

"Worried about crashing?"

The boy nodded.

The man chuckled. "Let's do it together, then."

The man slowly pushed them forward, speeding up as they neared the wall. The wall loomed before them before quickly giving way. A scarlet train stood before them, steam floating around it. The boy stood in awe for a moment until his mother crossed the barrier, urging him forward.

The platform bustled like the one outside as parents and children said their goodbyes, checking and rechecking their school lists.

A heavy sense of dread filled the boy as he walked down the platform.

"What are you worried about, son?"

The boy anxiously looked at his father.

"Has there ever been a Potter in Slytherin?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Not that I can recall."

The boy looked away, his anxiousness increasing.

"Are you worried about being in Slytherin?"

The boy didn't respond but the answer was clear.

Harry smiled softly as he steered his son toward the side, away from the flow of traffic. He smiled at his wife, shaking his head at her questioning look. She nodded and continued forward, leading a little girl by the hand.

Harry kneeled, looking at his son in the face.

"You shouldn't always listen to your Uncle Ron, you know."

"Frankie was saying things, too," the boy said softly.

Harry smirked. "Frankie's thirteen. He says a lot of things."

The boy remained quiet. Harry sighed at his son's continued state of anxiety.

"There is nothing wrong with being in Slytherin." He paused. "Your mother and I will be proud no matter where you end up."

"I'm not a bad person, though."

Harry smiled before turning serious. "It's true that Slytherin used to have a reputation for churning out dark wizards but things have changed. It's been a long time since then; Slytherin isn't the same anymore." Harry looked down the platform. "Ask your Uncle Neville or Remus, they're there all the time."

"But if I do end up there, or Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, people will say things."

Harry furrowed his brow. "Like what?"

"That I'm not like you," the boy mumbled.

Harry frowned. "Brian James Potter…there's nothing wrong with being your own person. Plus, I'm not that great."

"Mum doesn't think so."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, well that's only when she's not mad at me."

Brian smiled.

"Look son, if this is really bothering you, you can always ask the sorting hat not to put you in Slytherin."

"You can do that?"

Harry nodded. "I did. Just know that the hat will only consider it but, ultimately, it knows where you belong."

Brian remained quiet for a moment. "Alright," he said, nodding.

"Remember that your mum and I will be proud no matter what, okay?"

Brian smiled. "Okay."

The train let out a loud whistle, signaling the coming departure.

"You ready?" Harry asked.

Brian nodded. They walked forward, maneuvering through the packed platform.

"Your mum is probably having a fit," Harry said, smirking.

"There you are!"

Hermione appeared in the crowd, a relieved look on her face.

"What took so long?" she asked, looking at Brian.

He paused before Harry said, "We were just talking."

Hermione looked like she wanted to ask more but let it go as a second whistle blasted through the platform.

Harry hugged his son. "Take care, Brian."

"I will, dad."

Harry held on for a second longer before Brian turned to hug his mother.

"Stay out of trouble, okay?" And write as soon as you can," Hermione said as she tightly hugged her son.

Harry turned as another familiar figure came toward them.

"Remus!" Harry shouted, a grin appearing on his face.

Gray now mixed with light brown in the man's hair, but he looked happier than ever before.

Remus smiled. "Harry." He looked at Hermione. "Hello, Hermione."

She smiled. "Hello, Remus. Where's Teddy?"

He looked back before answering. "With his friends, I assume. "You know how he is."

Harry chuckled. "How is it that he became Head Boy?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't know. I think McGonagall might be getting old."

"Maybe she's hoping he'll learn some responsibility," said Hermione.

"Let's hope so," said Remus. He smiled. "I'm proud of him, though."

Harry smiled. "All of us are."

Remus looked down at Brian. "Are you ready for your first year?"

Brian smiled nervously. "I think so."

"Well, if you're anything like your mother, you'll do great."

"Hey!" Harry protested.

"Am I wrong?" Remus asked.

"Well no, but still…I wasn't that bad." He paused and looked at Hermione. "Right?"

Hermione shared a quick glance with Remus before smiling at Harry. "Sure, darling."

Harry laughed. "Fine, I was daft."

"No, you were just lazy," Hermione retorted.

A small voice broke into the conversation.

"I'm going to be like mummy!"

They all looked down at the brown haired girl with bright, emerald eyes. Remus gasped, a huge smile spreading on his face. "You are? And who are you, beautiful?"

The little girl giggled. "Uncle Remus, you know who I am!"

He picked her up. "I do? Oh, well I'm getting old, you know. Why don't you remind me?"

She giggled again. "I'm Charlotte Lily Potter!"

"Oh, what a pretty name for the pretty girl!"

Harry smiled at his daughter. "When are you going to Hogwarts, love?"

Charlotte held up four little fingers. "In four years!"

"Oh, well you'll be there in no time," said a younger looking Remus.

Charlotte squealed. "Teddy!"

Teddy smiled as he took the little girl from his father. "Hey there, munchkin."

He turned to look at Harry and Hermione."Hey Uncle Harry, Aunt Hermione."

"Teddy," Harry said, smiling.

"Congratulations on being chosen as Head Boy, Teddy," Hermione said.

"Thanks. Which reminds me: I should get going. Help the students and what not."

Teddy looked at Charlotte and scrunched his nose, turning his hair blue. She squealed with glee as she touched it.

Teddy laughed, his hair returning to its original light brown color. "I'll see you later, munchkin." He kissed her forehead and put her down. He looked at his dad. "I'll see you at school, dad."

"See you later, son."

He hugged Harry and Hermione, ruffled Brian's hair and stepped onto the train.

"Is he going to be in your Defense against the Dark Arts class this year?" asked Hermione.

Remus thought for a moment. "Yes, I think so." He smirked. "That should be fun."

Another girl's voice reached their ears, making them laugh when they saw where it was coming from.

"Dad!"

A small, red headed girl struggled against her father as he held her tightly in his arms.

The blond woman standing near them chuckled, the dreamy look still visible in her eyes. "Ron, she has to go."

The tall, red headed man winked at his wife. "Go where?"

The little girl gave up and said, "To Hogwarts, dad."

"Hogwarts? What's Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

The girl laughed. "Dad, seriously!"

"Alright, alright," Ron grumbled, letting go. "Just remember to write, Rose."

Rose looked up at her father and smiled. "I will."

"Go get 'em, love," Ron said, ruffling her hair.

Her smile widened as she laughed and hugged her mother. After a moment, she gasped and pulled away.

"I forgot my spectrespecs!" she said, a look of dismay on her face.

Luna smiled. "They're in your trunk, sweetie."

Relief flooded her face. "Thanks, mum."

Luna hugged her again. "You're welcome. Now go before the train leaves."

Rose hugged her dad one last time before joining Brian at a train door.

Ron and Luna joined Harry and Hermione as the kids boarded the train and soon appeared in a compartment. Brian opened the window as the train started moving.

"Take care of my little girl, Brian!" Ron said.

"I will, Uncle Ron!"

Suddenly, Ginny and Neville appeared, looking rushed.

"Oh Merlin, the train's already leaving!" shouted Ginny.

The others watched with mirth as Neville ushered his brown haired son forward, a train door opening before him. He picked his son up and put him on the steps, the door sliding shut quickly after. Frank Arthur Longbottom quickly joined Brian and Rose in their compartment.

"My trunk!"

"I'll bring it with me later!" Neville shouted.

"Stay out of trouble, Frankie! And look out for Brian and Rose!" said Ginny.

"I will!"

The train picked up speed as the kids waved a final time to their parents.

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and smiled at him.

"They grow up so fast don't they?" he asked.

"Yeah, they do."

Harry looked down at his little girl. "Don't grow up okay, Charlotte?"

He lifted her in his arms as she said, "Okay, daddy."

Ron turned to look at his sister. "Why were you late?"

"Frankie," she said.

"He waited until the last minute to pack, as always," Neville said.

The adults nodded knowingly, watching as the train left the platform.

Harry smiled sadly, turning to look at Hermione when she squeezed his hand. She smiled softly, her chocolate eyes glowing as the sun hit them. Harry leaned forward, watching as her smile grew, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He stayed there for a moment before pulling away, a genuine smile pulling on his lips.

"I love you, Mrs. Potter."

"I love you, Mr. Potter."

Charlotte giggled in his arms as she watched them. They both looked at her and smiled.

"And we love you, munchkin," he said.

She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.

The train was now a speck in the distance, visible only from the steam rising above it.

Hermione laced her hand through Harry's, leaning her head on his shoulder. Harry smiled as the wind ruffled his hair, exposing the scar that had not bothered him for nineteen years.

All was well.

**The end.**

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><p><strong>It may seem short but I felt like I included everything that was important; I hope you guys agree. Anyway, one of the reasons why I took so long to put this up was figuring out the names for the children. There was no way I was going to use the same ones...except Rose, of course. I actually really liked that name and I loved the idea of Ron having a daughter named Rose :) Can you guys guess the significance of the other names? Some are obvious but what about Brian? Or Charlotte?<strong>

**Thank you guys again for reading my story! It gives me inspiration for any future stories I may write, which I'm actually thinking about. I may even take a crack at writing a story that starts after the war and see how Harry and Hermione's relationship could develop in that situation...definitely have to think about that lol.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who reviewed and even to those who didn't but hey, it wouldn't hurt this one time right?**


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